Ole Carolina Barbeque

This place has probably the best bbq in Gastonia. And, the value is very obvious. I eat there almost every week, taking advantage of their senior’s special, which is incredible.

This is one of my favorite local barbeque places to eat. The waitstaff is always friendly and attentive. The food is consistently good and very flavorful. The Brunswick stew is awesome!!! I wish they had a larger selection of sides but what they do have works.

As one other reviewer said, we used to go to CAROLINA COUNTRY down the street and were equally pleased to hear that this restaurant was the same people.
Great food … and a nice atmosphere in which to enjoy it.

Food is excellent, try the Brunswick Stew, very good, excellent portions and the little blonde hostess was the nicest thing with a sweet country accent.

First things first, if you like watching yourself eat then this is the place for you. There are mirrors everywhere. Also, 1985 called and they want there furniture back. My wife and I ordered a small pork plate and a burger and mac and cheese. Our waitress left her hair in our fries and there was also a hair on the mac and cheese. But don’t worry they only charged us for a pork tray and a kids burger! Huh? A hair is disgusting. We will not be going back. We had a good experience at a party with a to go order but now we won’t be eating it again!

My family has been going to this family’s restaurant for years. It used to be Carolina Country down the street and it closed down. We were so excited when they reopened a few years later. This is a great BBQ place and I am a huge fan of their sauce. It is just the perfect amount of vinegar. Both my parents absolutely love this place. I think we will continue to go there when visiting the area.
The only complaint I have ever had is that the BBQ can sometimes be a little dry. But then other times it is amazing. Also, their sides are severely lacking. But other than that it is great!

This place has the atmosphere of a funeral parlor. Or maybe a cruise ship circa 1985. There are mirrors everywhere and lots of dated banquet chairs.
But who cares? I’m here to eat. The host and server are very friendly. Skip the beer (bud light on tap? Oooh exotic) and get a sweet tea.
They drop off some hush puppies while you review the menu. Perhaps these are not hush puppies, but just fried lumps of stale corn bread?
Menu is simple. Pork, beef, chicken, mac n cheese… Honestly there is not a. single vegetable! Not even greens? Must be legit. I order a combo plate of chicken and pork with mac n cheese.
Food arrives really quickly and there is a lot of it. The pork is okay. Not a lot of flavor but the bbq sauce, served on the side, is sweet and tangy and tomatoey and awesome. I pour it on.
The chicken is fine. Its not dry? I’m trying to be positive.
The mac n cheese is 80% cheese, 20% overcooked noodles. Honestly it tastes like a pile of fat. Im not drunk enough to enjoy it.
I only had 2 days in North Carolina. Sorry i wasted one of my BBQ outings here.

Awesome bbq ribs, hush puppies, fries and fried apple sticks in vanilla ice cream. Come hungry leave happy!

Kept seeing all the cars and thought it MUST be good, right? Wrong! Ordered ½ rack ribs. The BBQ sauce is tangy with vinegar like taste. The ribs were very tough. Rib meat should fall off the bone. The hush puppies and coleslaw were fair. Sweet potato casserole was fair. Best part: my husband’s side salad!!! When we paid our bill the girl checking us out asked «how was everything?» We said «the ribs were very tough». She then said «ok». Really? Don’t waste your time or money. Ignore the cars in the parking lot. This place is one NOT to go to when you want Real BBQ.

Food was not bad but was surprised that the BBQ sauce was not you normal Carolina BBQ. Meals were huge just my meal alone could feed two people and it was just a normal dinner plate. Service on the other hand was very slow, our waitress will walk by our table with empty drinks and not even offer is refiles.

We love this place, last nite I was in the mood for a hamburger and the pulled pork… so what the hey! I asked and they delivered… a hamburger with the pulled pork piled high on top of it! Let me warn you that this is not for the lite appetite! If this sounds good you can ask your server and for $ 2 more they will indulge you, I asked that they add this to the menu… lets see what happens! I slathered mine in bbq sauce and it was great to the last bite.

We get here every time we are near Gastonia, which is not often. We know the meat and ribs will be the same and NO sugar in the slaw. From all of the BBQ places we have visited, this is THE only place I’ll buy their sauce. One kind, don’t need more.

Good atmosphere, Okay service. Menu does not allow ordering of a barbeque sandwich without fries, or you must pay extra for some other greasy choices. $ 11.00 for a sandwich, side salad, and drink is a little steep for the quality of food here. BBQ was not bad, but not memorable either. The waitress divorced us after the food was delivered. Up until that point the service was good. There is always a line at the competing establishment on Wilkinson BLVD. Not one here. This place has great potential with a few easy tweaks.

When the hush puppies are pretty much the best thing about the meal, that’s not a sign of a good ‘cue joint. The beef was served shredded, and had very little smoke OR rub flavor. It was also almost as dry as jerky. The ribs had good flavor, but were rubbery and the meat had to be wrestled off the bone.
My date had the pulled pork, and I couldn’t detect any smoke flavor whatsoever. They really push the sauce, and while it is pretty good, the meat needs to do its part to make the ‘cue experience a good one.
From a service standpoint: It was originally OK, but then our server began doing her sidework (filling salt shakers, etc.) and we may as well not have existed. We left our table to smoke outside, leaving my date’s glasses and my phone and telling our server where we were going, and came back to find our table cleaned, our personal items in lost and found and my leftover beef (which I was going to add to a meat loaf to give it some moisture) thrown away. They did replace the beef, but come ON!
(OH, and hush puppies ARE great. Seriously.)

Good BBQ, staff was great. But the best was the hushpuppies, I usually not a big fan but ate all the hushpuppies we had on the table. I also think you get alot of food for the price

Bbq ok but fries bland slaw bitter décor is old. Can’t stand plastic covers over fabric on chairs. Can we say 1980s. Staff was pleasant though. for the price not worth it.

This is a really good nc bbq joint. The bbq slaw was a stand out. Some of the best I’ve had. It was the finely chopped vinegar slaw similar to bridges bbq but actually better. Just the right amount of spices. I was really pleased with the bbq sauce, it was served warm which was a nice touch. It reminds me of a sweet bbq and vinegar sauce mixed. And I can’t forget the great smoked pork. I got the sliced because I don’t see it offered as much as the chopped and it was excellent, tender and flavorful. I will definitely check this place out again and make sure it’s worthy of my five star rating and that it wasn’t just my belly talking.

I grew up down the street from Carolina Country BBQ. Several years ago they sold the restaurant and the new restaurant kept the name– but not quite the same great food. Now Olé Carolina BBQ has opened next to the original location, and run by the original family.
I suggested that we go there while I was visiting family and was so happy when we walked in and smelled that familiar, amazing smell. The sauce was as I remembered. Everything was good and the hush puppies are the best around, and I’m not usually a big hush puppy fan.
Our server was very friendly, but perhaps a little dense and forgetful. We ended up with everything we asked for eventually. She was so nice though that you couldn’t be mad and just had to laugh. I look forward to returning soon.

These are the original «Carolina BBQ» family back making good food in Gastonia. I am not a beef bbq person but this meat is very moist and flavoraful. Pork was the same way. Onion rings need alittle help. Stringy with way too much grease. But we did 1lb of beef (twice) and pork for take out. Very nice.
It is typical NC BBQ in that it is dry. I am from the Deep South and like my BBQ saturated with cooked on sauce. Dripping.
Not too big on their homemade sauce. Too much chili powder for me. Used my own Williamson Bros. Sauce.
Also, the «girls» up front need to watch topics of conversations when customers are around. Religion and politics are not the best things to air in loud voices when customers are waiting… I’m just saying…