Allen & Sons’
Located just off of 15-501, three miles from the esteemed Northwood High School, Allen & Sons’ offers an easy and delicious way to get some barbeque. The atmosphere is comforting with a sit-in restaurant and a to-go counter.
The sandwich is heavy and has a lot of meat, an excellent fill up. It was made with shredded pork, cooked well except for a few chewy parts which really took away from the overall quality. The sauce is a Carolina vinegar based which the meat seems to be cooked in rather than one that you put on yourself. This lack of choice causes another problem for the overall quality. The bun was the biggest issue, as it was soggy on the edges and seemed to be a bun that one could buy at a local store. The coleslaw was chopped rather than sliced or shredded and had no carrots, just cabbage. However, the slaw was very well made and added a great element to the sandwich. For a side order I got tater-tots which had a golden brown, crispy outside with a soft and warm inside.
Overall, this sandwich on its own doesn’t match up with the others sampled as it was simple and quickly made. However, the price and convenience make up for the overall quality.
Crossties BBQ
Right in downtown Carrboro, Crossties BBQ makes for a great date night or family dinner. The scenery of the place is the best of the places I visited. It is built using old train cars—the seating area is in a passenger cabin and the bar and kitchen is in a storage car.
The sandwich was $10 and came with one side; I decided to get the smoked gouda macaroni cheese, topped with cayenne pepper. This was an excellent side item that complemented the sandwich. The sandwich was made with pork that had some pink parts to it and didn’t have much mass. For 10 bucks, I was expecting something more filling. On the outside was a toasted, brioche bun, which was an excellent touch. The slaw was made of cabbage, beets and carrots, with a slight vinegar taste. For sauce there were three choices: a vinegar based, a Texas style tomato base and a Memphis style with a hint of bourbon. This variety was an added bonus as you get to decide which is best.
Overall, the atmosphere made this place, but for the price, I was very disappointed in the amount of meat. Everything else from the variety of sauce to the bun was excellent, but the lack of meat really takes away from the sandwich.
City BBQ
Off of highway 54 in Durham you’ll find City BBQ, which also has locations in Raleigh, Cary and Garner. The building has wooden barrels and walls which worked really well for a BBQ place. It offers both take-out and dine in which is always a huge plus.
The sandwich was just $7 and came to $10 with two sides. The bun was pedestrian at best, similar to Allen & Sons’, as it was just a hamburger bun that you could buy at your local grocery store. The meat, however, was the best I have tried because of the quality, amount and the fact that every bite was cooked all the way through. It didn’t come with coleslaw and didn’t even seem to come with that option. Now for the sauce: City BBQ gives you an option of a multitude of sauces ranging from Carolina vinegar to Memphis sweet bases. This variety was the best I have seen and the taste was even better. The sides I chose were the mac and cheese and the gumbo. The mac and cheese, if I’m being honest, was some of the worst I’ve ever had as it had an almost sour aftertaste. The gumbo, on the other hand, was very good as it had a good element of spice and was loaded with a variety of ingredients.
Overall, City BBQ exceeded expectations of a chain restaurant. With the quality of the meat and the wide variety of sauces, this place ranks among the top of the list. Though the bun and mac and cheese were big disappointments, I didn’t feel these flaws affected the quality of the sandwich too much.
Original Q Shack
Where University Drive and 15-501 meet, you’ll find the Original Q Shack. The building is well, a shack, and has an outdoor picnic eating area along with tables inside.
The meat was the best I tried. It was succulent and melted in my mouth. I could tell that the owners here spend a lot of time perfecting the meat. The bun was simple, but still a step above just a regular old store bought hamburger bun. The sauce on the sandwich was a North Carolina vinegar base. Like the meat, it was the best I tried as it was a perfect mix of tangy, sweet, and salty. The only issue I had with the sauce was the lack of choice; for example, I couldn’t get a Texas style barbeque on the pork. For sides I got mac and cheese and hush puppies which were both made very well. The mac and cheese, though simple, had a rich creamy flavor. The hush puppies were crisp and had a sweet and salty taste.
Overall, what made this place for me was the convenience and the price. My order came out within five minutes but it didn’t feel like fast food. Along with that, my meal was under $10. Though the quality was not affected by the price or the speed.
– By Tanner Althoff
