Friendly staff and a good menu. The creole green beans are delicious! They were out of ribs when we visited but the BBQ sandwich was very good. Decent kids menu and a limited selection of drafts as well.

The food was really good! I ordered the baby ribs and they were “fall off the bone” 👍🏽 my husband went with the brisket and it tasted so good! The waitress service could be better but it was just ok.

This restaurant is the best BBQ place around the area! 🍖🔥💯

Found this spot and will surely be back. Food was delicious, portioned just right, and the boubon pecan pie was very good. The chicken breast was so flavorful and juicy. Will try the ribs and chicken (again) next time. Okra was lightly breaded just how I like. By the way, service was quick for my takeout, which was nice.

I have been a Hillsborough BBQ customer for about three years now. Their food is VERY tasty and service is excellent. I am from Texas so I know what good BBQ is. Their brisket sandwich is the best I have ever had. Yesterday, I got their Family Pack for take out, but after I arrived at my daughter’s house I noticed that the whole chicken was missing. So I went back to alert the wait staff about the discrepancy. They were very nice: they got me the chicken and even gave me some banana pudding for free. 😎

Definitely one of the best BBQ places in the area. They have both east and western Carolina sauces so its the best of both worlds. The pulled pork was very flavorful and the catfish bites were delicious. It's a popular restaurant so I'd get there early on the weekends.

Really really good BBQ sandwich, and the green beans are amazingly flavorful. There was almost an hour wait for take out,, totally worth it though!

Excellent lunch and beer. Also had banana pudding, doesn't get much better than HBBQ

Loved it! I had the catfish with white slaw (best ever), Brunswick stew, and hush puppies. Fantastic. Great portion sizes. Loved the Eastern sauce and Western sauce at the table. Eastern was my favorite. The bartender was our server and she did a great job. Very friendly and took the time to help out a New Yorker with the menu. Would definitely go back.

This place is awesome my wife had the brisket and chicken breast and I had ribs and chicken leg quarter. We went on an early Sunday afternoon, on a six hour road trip . The staff was fast knowledgeable And attentive. We coming back when in the area

The debate between Eastern and Western North Carolina BBQ ends here. Great food with sauces from both sides! Visit Ayr House after to walk off those extra pounds.

We were at our monthly sibling luncheon. Great pick by my brother & sister-in-law. I had never been and now it’s top list when in Hillsborough. BBQ plate and great sides.

I apologize, lovers of Lexington-style bbq, but Hillsborough BBQ is the best barbecue place in the region. Everything my son and I had was top-notch: the hushpuppies, the Creole fries, the slaw, the baked beans and, of course, the barbecue itself. The service was excellent as well. I can't wait to go back!

If you're in the area, this place has it going on. Brisket, ribs, hushpuppies...all great! Ask for Robin, our waitress. She grab the last of the ribs for me. Super service!

I have eaten in at Hillsborough BBQ as well as had take out for my family. Every time the food is delicious and service is outstanding. I love this place! Their family meals are great and the portions are large. Support local business!

I ordered a catering order for over 100 people. It was very tasty all the food we ordered was great. My staff favorite dish was the brisket and the corn pudding. The bbq sauce compliments the bbq very well. Staff was great walked all the food it to the car for us and help us load it. I have visited many bbq places in this state. By far Hillsborough Bbq beats them all. Thank you i finally found a good bbq place. I would definitely recommend people to come here and i will be coming back to this location.

Very good tasting food, nice portions, nice local BBQ, Always packed…

Stopped for takeout and loved it! Great sauces and the best collards I’ve ever had! I can’t wait to go back for more.

Great lunch, good smoked BBQ with your choice of sauce, sweet BBQ or vinegar based. Cajun spiced green beans were an unexpected change. "White" Slaw was good, they also had yellow slaw. I wasn't overly impressed with the hush puppies. I had some of my wife's brisket and cajun fries, were both very good. Great smoked flavor on the meats. Price was a little high but portions were very generous. I would absolutely eat here again.

The atmosphere is nice.It very clean the service was good and the food was delicious.Please try the banana pudding I was wowed by it..I will definitely be going back there!🤩!

+4

Came in with my son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter on a Saturday. Ashleigh was fantastic. The food fantastic. Atmosphere was fantastic. I will definitely come in again when I'm in the area

Jordan was absolutely the best. You can tell he really cares about this place and the customers. Good food, great music choice in the background too.

I ordered their Fried Catfish starter & WHAT A LET DOWN! I got 5 small pieces of catfish for $9. Don't order this if you value your money... BBQ sandwich & w/ mac & cheese has been my normal order, always good.

A solid barbecue place in the Triangle area. Probably better than any barbecue places in Durham. I had the 1/2lb combo of brisket and chicken and they were both really good. The brisket was cooked a little differently from other places I’ve tried (closer to steamed but really good and juicy). Hushpuppies were okay and Fried Okra is a definite must if you are getting any sides.

Judith delivered the food for our catered event and was fast, efficient, and brought a professional attitude with the delivery. Her overall demeanor and personality makes me want to cater from here for every event!

Love the seasonal drinks they offer.

Have gone here so many times over the last 10 years- it’s always the same. Great food, friendly staff, reasonable prices, what more could you ask for? This time I just got takeout but it was still delicious and they had my order ready in 15 mins.

We had pull pork plate and brisket plate. We loved everything from the meat to side dishes: hush poppy, slaw, fries. Highly highly recommended

We enjoyed eating outside in November! Fun to see people come and go while enjoying the wonderful food.

It was really good. Best green beans I ever had. Ribs and chicken were good as well. I'd go back. Smells very smoked inside, which I didn't mind. Not exactly inexpensive though.

Food was AMAZING!!! If your traveling through Don't forget to buy a T-shirt!

Wow! It’s a little place with authentic food and amazing service. We tried and highly recommend the ribs, chicken and briskets. Don’t forget the iced tea and banana pudding - freshly made and superb!

Really comfortable, cozy and friendly little BBQ restaurant with good food at great value. Delicious pulled pork sandwich and fantastic creamy mac & cheese. Highly recommend the Jalapeno Margaritas here, perfectly spicy and kick like an angry mule.

Really enjoyed be food. The brisket is fantastic! Note that it isn’t available all week. My wife really liked the pork bbq too. The Mac and cheese was merely ok. For the side, go with the green beans, those were divine. As for dessert, the banana pudding was worth the calories.

A fantastic BBQ spot close to Durham and Chapel Hill NC. We were 4 and shared 2 full racks of ribs. The meat was falling off the bone, but still had some bite to and didn't fall apart. The sauce was amazing! The Creole fries were awesome. The spices add a lot to the taste. Other sides included corn pudding, slaws (red and yellow), and fried okra and everything was delicious. The hush puppies were great. Too bad there were so few of them. :-) We ended up sitting outside on a hot day which was not too bad, but a fan could help. It is recommended to make reservations. The staff were very friendly, efficient and helpful. Service was fast and great.

Brisket cooked 16 hrs is delicious. I had their yellow slaw a sweet tangy delight. Definitely would come again

My honey and I visited here for dinner for the first time. We had the 1/4 lb brisket and 1/4 lb rack of ribs with mac and cheese, hush puppies, and fries. It was absolutely delicious! That Mac and cheese is something else. The BBQ sauce is unlike any I've ever tasted before.. the perfect sweet and savory, it's great. We will definitely be back.

Such a great little place! We drive from Raleigh every now and then as a treat! The atmosphere is lovely and the food is so good! We recently enjoyed an evening dinner in their outdoor seating area! Definitely recommend giving this place a try!

As a local, one of the best in Hillsborough. Good variety: BBQ (of course), great sandwiches, big salads, and tons of sides. Always a special also going on. Great prices, relaxing environment, and fantastic service. Go with a big group or casually visit during a lunch break, this is the place to go! EAT LOCAL :)

Hillsborough BBQ Company is a true gem! The food was absolutely delicious—perfectly smoked BBQ with great flavor, tender meats, and all the classic sides done right. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and the staff couldn’t have been friendlier. You can tell they take pride in both their food and their service. If you’re anywhere near Hillsborough, this spot is a must-visit for authentic Carolina BBQ.

Absolutely delicious food. Amazing service. Our cups were never empty and service was fast. Our party tried every meat on the menu and none of it disappointed. We will defiantly be back!!!

I’m not big on BBQ but this was fantastic! Food was absolutely delicious and service was great. I’ll definitely be back during my next visit to the area.

I will have to return. Marked lower because of their staff. Not so sure the staff want to work there. This was 4 years ago. I have made several return visits. Our visit today was good (Jan 2022). They were very attentive to our table. It is a little pricey, but the food is excellent. They improved their rating for sure. Never had a bad meal here. Love these back street out of the way restaurants. Hillsborough BBQ can be crowded at times. Not a lot of space for seating. I believe they could expand and fill up that space as well. Does not look like much from the outside which I believe adds to the unexpected surprise of how great this restaurant is.

Our server was awesome! Fast, friendly, and knew the menu. Nice selection of veggies; not just potato variety.

Best BBQ I've ever had (I'm a northerner). Fast, friendly service. Food came out very quickly and was very delicious. The restaurant was clean and had great charm.

ZAIJA

Me encanto la comida

brenda betancourt

Se come DELICIOSO!! 😋

I will give 3.5 star. I see they tried to do the best. Catfish portion is small, but taste very good. Brisket portion is reasonal. TOAST is overly done. Food came out quick. Plenty of parking. We will come back.

Really good BBQ located in downtown Hillsborough. Cute little restaurant that also has an outdoor patio. Had the brisket, ribs and smoked chicken. Brisket was pretty lean but tasty, the fatty pieces were really good. Ribs had a nice crust and soft in the middle. Chicken was really moist and had a nice smokey flavor. Tried both BBQ sauces, like the tomato based one better than the vinegar base one. All the sides were really good, especially the mac and cheese and the fried okra. Potato salad was good but needed some pepper, an easy fix. Cole slaw was pretty standard. Had a chocolate pie for dessert, it was really good not too sweet. If you are ever in the area and in the mood for BBQ this is a great place to satisfy that craving.

This is a definitive eastern Carolina BBQ place. The pork is spot on. The okra is fantastic. The banana pudding is out of this world. The greens though? The greens may be the best i've ever had, they were smoky and vinegary! They didnt have a table when I got there so they sat us (2) at a long table with a couple folks who were about to leave - it was nice chatting with them! The outside is dog friendly and there is free parking across the street!

Went there for work and they gave us lunch which was very good

Update: I went again and ordered the same thing and this time it wasn't nearly as tasty. The brisket was 90% fat (which some people might enjoy but I find it kind of gross) and it wasn't cooked as well as the first time. The hostess wasn't as friendly and our waitress never came back for refills. My boyfriend said the coleslaw tasted off, as well. I don't know if it was just an off day, but it wasn't very enjoyable. Probably my favorite bbq that I've had especially considering how affordable it is. The brisket had a really nice flavor and was cooked just the way I like it (not fatty but still tender). All of the sides were very good. The hush puppies were smaller than ones I've had in the past but they still taste great! Our waitress was a sweetheart and I love the restaurant's southern charm!

Amazing food, but sometimes a bit slow service during lunchtime!

Good brisket! 3 types of slaw to choose from and a good beer tap list!

Worth getting off the highway and enjoy some carolina BBQ. Smoke brisket melt in your mouth. Full slab of ribs were 12 bones deep. Good bite flavor definitely top knotch. Great waitress cool drinks Smoked Jalapeno margaritas and great micro brew selection. Get off the highway and enjoy it's worth it.

Wonderful small town BBQ. The service is a little slow (they are busy) and the brisket is a little dry, but overall it is good small town BBQ.

Pretty good BBQ here, prefer their pork and eastern sauce. Banana pudding was awesome. Some of the better BBQ in the area!

Stopped here 26 august they are temporarily closed.. Whitts next door is having power issues, not sure kf its the same thing or now.. We loved this place the first time we went, delicious southern bbq, great sides too! The second time we went the food was Mediocre, we decided to try the ribs and brisket this time...they were out of both! We will still try it again though

Fast and friendly service. Very clean. Excellent food but could be hotter. BTW dining room is full five minutes after opening.

Off the beaten track but worth the drive. I was there just after the lunch crowd cleared out and it had been packed. For a good reason. Pulled pork was amazing and hush puppies were great. Staff were super friendly and the tables were very clean.

Very solid barbecue. I had the brisket and the pulled pork, along with fried okra and yellow slaw. The brisket and slaw were definitely the highlights. Good for kids, families, and take-out. Price point is slightly high compared to some of the smaller joints in Eastern Carolina. Would still highly recommend to check it out if you’re in the area and looking for good BBQ!

I been going to Hillsborough BBQ for about 5 years. It nails Carolina comfort food. The chopped pork is tender and smoky (though I wish it had pork skin), the green beans have a tasty kick, and the home-sliced fries are perfectly crisp. The vinegary collard greens are delicious if that's your thing. A flavorful, no-frills spot that delivers on every bite. Friendly service every time I go.

Cute location and good service. Food is severely lacking. I ordered the brisket sandwich with macaroni and cheese. I’m certain the brisket was cooked in a crockpot as it had zero flavor and the Texas toast was soggy. We also had hush puppies and fried okra, theses were definitely the freezer section special and weren’t really anything special. Will not be a return customer.

The beer and dessert were the best part of the meal. BBQ was bland and overpriced. Very small portions.

Stopped in this location on the recommendations of a friend. Ordered the Catfish sandwich with collards as a side. The sandwich was basically a lettuce and tomato because there was a couple of small pieces of fish as if they were some left overs from the fry basket. The collards were different than any I've ever had. Difficult to explain but the flavor was disappointing. The server coughed openly while talking the order. Very unpleasant first experience at a place I was told that I would enjoy lunch here.

Got brisket and pork. All dry and cold. Mac and cheese was also cold. Service was ok, but I had to track down the server a couple of times. sauces were very watery, almost like they were diluted. wife's chicken was also dry. The baked beans were the best thing we had. They were delicious. The banana pudding was also good. Not what I would consider Carolina BBQ at all, but I'm no food expert.

Food was decent. Didn't think it was worth $30 but it was decent. The vibe just felt a little bit off in the small town though, almost like we weren't wanted there. ...But OVERALL the food was good & the catfish nuggets was the best.

Avoid the brisket, it was super chewy (to the point that it was inedible) and when I mentioned this to the server she apologized, but said that that just happens sometimes. No, it happens when the meat doesn't reach a high enough temperature to melt the fat/collagen during the cooking process. They didn't even offer to compensate that portion of the bill. The BBQ was decent, though not a ton of smokey flavor. The yellow slaw was a tasty twist, plus the potato salad and hush puppies were good. The ginger ale and sweet tea were very good however.

My friend and I were very eager to try, as this was highly regarded in the area! We were seated immediately which was great. Our server was the sweetest woman. She was warm and she paced everything perfectly! We ordered the quarter pound brisket with white slaw, hush puppies, mac-n-cheese, corn pudding, and creole green beans. The brisket was quite disappointing as the portion size did not seem like a quarter pound at all.. it was a little dry and it was very average tasting. We’ve had better. The white slaw and hush puppies weren’t great. We really enjoyed the Mac-n-cheese, corn pudding, and creole green beans however. The Mac-n-cheese was super creamy and had great flavor! The corn pudding was an interesting texture and had great flavor as well! Highly recommend trying that, as I’ve never seen that on a BBQ menu before. The creole green beans were flavorful and buttery. Overall, we really wanted to like it but it just didn’t hit the spot. The service is great though!!

Other than turtle based serving the BBQ actually impressed me. I had fajitas and they were perfect. Definitely will he back to try something else.

I’ve heard really good things about this place, so I decided to try it on a Wednesday when the brisket is fresh, since it’s only available starting Wednesday. What I got was dried and salty. The side of corn pudding, needs some work, it was mush, and the color was off, not like any corn pudding I’ve ever had. I will say the ribs were delicious along with the hushpuppies. I would order the hushpuppies alone, some of the best, but the brisket needs a lot of work.

Customer service was really good and the atmosphere is nice also. The portion of food and price does not match. I ordered the 1/4 pound catfish which are catfish nuggets fried. It was literally 9 pieces of catfish nuggets which looks like they took one piece of catfish and cut it into 9 pieces. It was served with coleslaw and baked beans. The baked beans were a little different because they were kidney beans and pinto beans they taste ok. I also ordered the brisket spring rolls. The brisket spring rolls were ok but the sauce that comes with it tastes like a bunch of vinegar was mixed in to make a sauce and it is way too tangy. For $23 I just expected at least a little more of the catfish bites.

North Carolina law prohibits businesses from charging a surcharge for credit card transactions, but they can offer a discount for non-credit card payments. This means a business cannot add a fee to a credit card transaction, but it can give a lower price to customers who pay with cash, check, or other methods

Mixed experience at Hillsboro BBQ. Should've known something was wrong when they served the brisket with a steak knife - good brisket doesn't need one. Sure enough, it came out completely underdone - white instead of that deep brown bark you expect, and nowhere near fall-apart tender. Had to actually use that steak knife to saw through it. Brisket should be brown, smoky, and tender - this looked like it barely spent time in the smoker. 3/10. After sending it back, they brought out chopped BBQ instead, which was actually pretty good (8/10). Maybe we just caught them on a bad day? What was disappointing: no manager or chef came out to talk to me about the brisket issue. When you serve undercooked meat at a BBQ restaurant, someone from management should acknowledge the problem. Our waitress handled it as best she could, but this needed more attention from leadership. The sides were tasty but VERY stingy with portions. Collard greens were flavorful (8/10) and the mac and cheese was excellent (9/10), but both came in tiny little metal cups that barely qualify as a side dish. The hush puppies were baby-sized too. The chopped BBQ and sides taste good, so maybe this was just an off day. But undercooked brisket is a major miss for a BBQ restaurant, and the tiny portions plus lack of management follow-up left a bad impression. Might give them another shot, but proceed with caution.

I don't like writing negative reviews, but I always give honest reviews of businesses. This is my honest review of Hillsborough BBQ Company. I ate here a couple of days ago. I was wanting to try their ribs, but they don't serve ribs until after 5pm. So, I went with the brisket. I found the brisket and their BBQ sauce pretty bland. I had also ordered the mac-n-cheese and green beans. The mac-n-cheese was just ok. The green beans were good, but just a tad under-cooked and a little too much salt/spices. The one thing that really didn't sit well with me was a note on their menu that people using a credit card will be charged an additional 3.5%!! What???? This is YOUR cost of doing business. Can you even imagine a gas station, grocery store or hardware store pulling a stunt like this? And unfortunately, I forgot about this went I went to pay with my credit card (and I'm sure they count on this), so I ended up paying an extra 3.5% for my meal. NEVER AGAIN. FYI: Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken and JuJu also charge extra for using a cc. I wouldn't come back anyway because I just wasn't impressed with the meal, but I will NEVER patronize a business trying to pass on their costs to their customers. We all need to make sure we don't normalize this behavior. If they were being honest with their customers, they would instruct their waitresses to remind the customer that paying by credit card will cost them 3.5% more than paying with cash. I guarantee you when a customer is told this, they'll be upset and asking questions. The one really good thing about this place was my waitress Jordan. She was awesome. She was constantly asking me if I needed anything. So kudos to Jordan.

John W

El lugar es bonito y el servicio bueno. La comida deja mucho que desear. Pedí el sándwich de brisket con macarrones con queso. Estoy seguro de que el brisket estaba cocinado en una olla de cocción lenta, ya que no tenía sabor y el pan tostado estaba empapado. También pedimos buñuelos de maíz y okra frita; estos últimos eran claramente productos congelados y no tenían nada de especial. No volveré.

Travelin' Man

No me gusta escribir reseñas negativas, pero siempre doy reseñas honestas de negocios. Esta es mi reseña honesta de Hillsborough BBQ Company. Comí aquí hace un par de días. Quería probar sus costillas, pero no las sirven hasta después de las 5 p. m. Así que pedí la falda de res. La falda y la salsa barbacoa me parecieron bastante sosas. También pedí macarrones con queso y judías verdes. Los macarrones con queso estaban bien. Las judías verdes estaban buenas, pero un poco crudas y con demasiada sal y especias. Lo único que no me convenció fue una nota en el menú que decía que a quienes usen tarjeta de crédito se les cobrará un 3,5% adicional. ¿Qué? ¿Este es TU costo de hacer negocios? ¿Te imaginas una gasolinera, un supermercado o una ferretería haciendo algo así? Y por desgracia, se me olvidó cuando fui a pagar con tarjeta de crédito (y seguro que cuentan con esto), así que terminé pagando un 3,5% más por mi comida. NUNCA MÁS. Para vuestra información: Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken y JuJu también cobran extra por usar tarjeta. De todas formas, no volvería porque no me impresionó la comida, pero NUNCA iré a un negocio que intente trasladar los costes a sus clientes. Todos debemos asegurarnos de no normalizar este comportamiento. Si fueran honestos con sus clientes, les pedirían a sus camareras que les recordaran que pagar con tarjeta de crédito les costará un 3,5% más que pagar en efectivo. Os garantizo que cuando a un cliente le digan esto, se enfadará y hará preguntas. Lo único realmente bueno de este lugar fue mi camarera, Jordan. Fue genial. Constantemente me preguntaba si necesitaba algo. Así que felicitaciones a Jordan.

Walking into this barbecue joint, I was greeted by a laid-back, casual atmosphere that seemed promising. The service was genuinely great, and I ordered a half-pound of brisket with mac and cheese and collard greens, all of which came out looking well-presented at first glance. You’ll see from the picture I’m sharing that the brisket looked unappetizing right from the start. Gray and dry. Despite the menu claiming it was soaked overnight, it turned out dry and lacking in flavor, forcing me to rely on salt and the table barbecue sauce just to make it palatable. The collard greens were decent—about a 8.5 out of 10—flavorful, though a bit too salty. Well, I guess I found where all the salt went. The mac and cheese, on the other hand, was a true highlight—creamy, delicious, and easily a 10 out of 10. I want to emphasize that I didn’t mention any of these issues to the server; I believe that what’s on the plate is what you’re reviewing, and there’s no chance for a second try. Good food should be consistent from the start, and in this case, there really was no excuse. In the end, I left feeling genuinely let down. I even had to consider grabbing something else to eat on the way home. If you’re looking for top-notch barbecue, you might want to spend your money elsewhere. A few days later I went to a local BBQ restaurant here in Winston-Salem. I am including photos from that dinner so you can see what good bbq SHOULD look like when it comes to you.

For a bbq place, the hushpuppies should be free. Because paying 5.99 for 5 is ridiculous. And for $53.00 2 sandwiches 2 sides is a little to high. But food was decent at best.

No room inside and it cost to much for the atmosphere ur gonna be crowded or sitting in the middle of the restaurant

We came to eat and the lady that stands up out side gave us a Mechanisms for calling when a table is available . 3 other people went before us and we came around the Corner to see if she missed us and she did . She asked if we were here to eat but she gave us the called device to come when she was ready . Then the food was Excellent and our waiter she didn't come back and ask if we wanted more tea or anything to drink but just dissatisfied with the serving and the lady that brought us in there. Oh more thing we switch to another table she kind of got an attitude and took the paper off of the table which was a wine paper that we don't drink wine and rushed out the door .I am sorry if I was cold by the door . Thanks . We won't be back.

We were disappointed with the food at the restaurant especially after hearing all of the praise the restaurant gets. We got chicken and pork, and both were somehow flavorless and too salty. Neither meat really tasted pit smoked. The pork was okay, and it wasn't dry which I liked. The white slaw was missing something and left me underwhelmed. The prices were too high for the food quality and portions size as well. Nearly 17 dollars for a half pound of pork is way above market. Other establishments in the relative area have a whole pound available for 13-16 dollars. However, the biggest problem for me was the large amount of flies in the dining area. At our table alone, there were at least ten. The service was good, and everyone there is nice, but unfortunately, the restaurant fell short in every other aspect.

Pulled pork. Nice portion but not much smokey flavor. Vinegar sauce is good but nothing special. Same with the slaw. The Brunswick stew sounded amazing but came out a disappointment. One piece of rabbit and overall watery and fairly bland. Price was a bit on the high side.

My wife and I ate at this establishment Wednesday evening. We had 2 servers, a male and a female. The female server was pleasant and attentive. The older male server, on the other had, smelled very strongly of alcohol. It was very off-putting. The food was excellent, but this experience will make me think twice before returning.

I was expecting the food to be good due to all the positive reviews online but tonight wasn’t their night. The brisket looked and tasted like they just stuck in the oven. Only good sides we tried were Mac and cheese and potato salad. Slow kitchen but is a kid friendly restaurant.

Man, I hate to write this. I had the ribs yesterday, along with collards and potato salad. The ribs were dry and chewy, like jerky in some places. The smoke on them seemed absent, like they were cooked in an oven. The collards were all stems and a salt bomb - threw them out. The potato salad was solid, at least. I can't comment on the hush puppies as they got soggy from rib juice, and which might have been partly my fault. This place is usually on point, so I really hope this isn't now their usual product!

I’m here to tell Foodie Nation the cold hard truth so here it is. My no holds barred, no punches pulled review of Hillsborough BBQ. WARNING: contains graphic content. Parental discretion advised. Saturday 9-6-25 approximately 4:30 and there are maybe two tables populated in the entire joint. The hostess was there but only physically. That tantalizing aroma of wood fired cooking pits had us filled with anticipation. Specials board was billing brisket (plate or sandwich or nachos). We love brisket—there’s no topping a well executed brisket. The bark! The smoke ring. That rich, juicy, smoky flavor. It simply reigns supreme in the world of BBQ. The three of us were all in—one plate, one sandwich, one nachos please! A basket of hush puppies hit our table simultaneously with our iced teas. They were good dipped in the softened butter that accompanied them. And it was all downhill from there. Out came our meals and none of them were hot—just lukewarm and that is a turn off. With so few tables to cook for I was expecting some steaming hot plates of food but alas. It was at this point we all realized we had made a mistake coming here. The brisket lacked that trademark bark indicative of an accomplished pit master. No smoke ring. Barely any flavor. It was limp and more resembled boiled corned beef instead of smoked brisket. I ordered the 1/4 pound size serving and only took three bites before dropping my fork in disgust. It was at about this time I overhead a couple from the North East ask their server questions about the menu that revealed this was their first time at a BBQ restaurant. Suddenly I was embarrassed to be a Southerner. I wanted to stand up and wave my hands in the air to signal to them they should abort the mission but I didn’t want to cause a disturbance —the poorly executed brisket on our plates was already a crime scene. The white slaw was decent (3 out of 5). The mac & cheese was also decent (also 3 out of 5). The collards were “not it” at all. They came in a small bowl of greasy broth that had an off putting flavor. My wife generally loves collards but these she rejected like a band geek at a frat party. They were just nasty. In a sparsely populated restaurant market like Hillsborough I’ve come to realize that restaurants here do not need to be good to keep the doors open. They simply need to exist and patrons will come simply because the lack of choices dictates “it’s this or nothing”. Our server was friendly and efficient so we chose not to share with her our opinions of the $70 worth of barely eaten food. After all, she had nothing to do with the preparation. We let our plates full of food going back to the kitchen speak for themselves. There’s nothing worth frequenting this place for. Come and see for yourself if you must. We won’t ever return.

I have to say,my daughter and I finally made it here from two years mothers I was in car accident otw to your restaurant, never made it that day, That soppose to been entire family going,well it was just 3 of us tonight. we all was disappointed. ATMOSPHERE was great, waitress messed up twice on order. Looked passed that thinking food will make up for the mistakes.. well got worse. Ordered banana pudding 1st as a appetizer, If you love old fashion oven baked banana pudding, then dont waste your 5.50 on 8oz scoop..Was not up to my standards that I make for my family and catering events. WE got the ribs and pulled pork. Have had way better. NOW VEGGIES VERY DISAPPOINTED, im collard green lover couldnt eat so so salty.. baked beans my daughter loves didn't eat hers.. Mac cheese got to do better.. so will not be back. FOR TWO plates and pudding $80 I should just went to Smithfield bbq would been better and way cheaper.. love the spot but glad my father didn't bring entire family to spend $100 of dollars .. very costly for food that wasnt good at all.. wasted $90 tonight.. leftovers that will go into trash. .. I was expecting better ...please taste food before dishing out ... maybe it was bad night it being Friday night and then crowd that I saw.. I was thinking it was going be delicious. Very disappointed 😞

Bill C

Al entrar en este restaurante de barbacoa, me recibió un ambiente relajado e informal que parecía prometedor. El servicio fue realmente excelente, y pedí medio kilo de brisket con macarrones con queso y berza, todo con una presentación impecable a primera vista. Como pueden ver en la foto que comparto, el brisket tenía un aspecto poco apetecible desde el principio. Gris y seco. A pesar de que en la carta decía que lo habían marinado durante la noche, resultó seco y sin sabor, obligándome a usar sal y la salsa barbacoa de la mesa para poder comerlo. La berza estaba decente —un 8,5 sobre 10— sabrosa, aunque un poco salada. Bueno, supongo que ya sé a dónde iba toda la sal. Los macarrones con queso, en cambio, fueron un verdadero acierto: cremosos, deliciosos y, sin duda, un 10 sobre 10. Quiero dejar claro que no le comenté nada de esto al camarero; Creo que lo que ves en el plato es lo que estás evaluando, y no hay segundas oportunidades. La buena comida debe ser consistente desde el principio, y en este caso, no había excusa. Al final, me fui con una gran decepción. Incluso tuve que pensar en comprar algo para comer de camino a casa. Si buscas una barbacoa de primera, quizás te convenga gastar tu dinero en otro sitio. Unos días después fui a un restaurante de barbacoa local aquí en Winston-Salem. Incluyo fotos de esa cena para que veas cómo debería ser una buena barbacoa.

First time customer. purchased 2 BBQ plates to go. One with Mac and cheese and Baked beans and the other with Potato salad and baked beans. The sides tasted old and was HORRIBLE!!! We only received 4 TINY hushpuppies per plate which we soggy and mushy due to being thrown in same compartment with BBQ. $40 and the only thing that was halfway decent was the BBQ. The rest was fed to the dogs. Most likely will not be back

I wanted to try it out but I have no idea how the food is since I wasn't acknowledged while waiting.

The banana pudding was a true disappointment. It looked and tasted like everything was homemade from the whipped cream to the pudding, however I was put off by the black bananas as I dug deep through the whipped cream. One and done!!

The food and beverages were okay (we ordered ribs and catfish bites, and the sweet tea was delicious) but that's where the pros end. As soon as I approached the front door, I immediately felt uncomfortable because an older man sitting at a table glared at me as if to say "Who do you think for trying to sit with US?" When I sat down at my table inside, another older man kept staring at me as well, like I was "out of place." They were both white, and I am a woman of color. I was the only POC there. For my fellow POC, I do not recommend this restaurant because of the tense atmosphere. With Durham several minutes away with better BBQ joints, I recommend going there instead of suffering through what I just experienced. Heed the other review that also called out this restaurant for its clear preference towards white people.

This place is not worth the price. The slaw is super runny. The adult portions are of a child’s plate. Im super disappointed. The waitress showed no concern about us. She was more focused on the non colored tables.

Went in for a Togo order single meat plate (bbq pork) and a pecan pie slice after paying almost 30 freaking dollars for 1/4lb of dry bbq and a measly thing of mac and cheese they also managed to give me the wrong slaw. I ordered white slaw was given yellow. Staff seems to overwhelmed and the older lady assuming the owner or manager acts like it’s a chore for her to take a food order. Top it off the pecan pie was one of the worst I’ve ever had super bitter and the crust was flavorless and hard. What a waist of a lunch hour.