Judge’s Express

— Unilocal SF didn’t believe me when I sent in two business closure notices, and I posted a CLOSED update review. {sigh}
— Unilocal SF didn’t believe «J.L.» who said that the business was razed.
— Maybe, just maybe, you’ll believe the photos that I took today…
On a positive note, there was no trouble finding parking. There was plenty of outdoor seating. The wait at the drive-​thru was minimal. The food tasted a little «earthy» though, and the service was practically nonexistent. I’ve had better BBQ experiences…:oD

Closed

Ribs and slaw were bang’n. The sauce on the ribs was really good but I didn’t really care for the vinegar sauce or the BBQ sauce they give you on the side for the pulled pork… strange. The mammoth chicken tenders looked great but were slightly greasy. I’m giving 5 stars for the ribs, which I came for and the slaw. I had the mayo based not the red vinegar based. Sweet tea is delish and the cookies. To top it off Kisha was super friendly and walked me through the menu. Great service.

4 ribs for $ 16? Signs on every table scream RIBS! RIBS! RIBS !! … where are those famous ribs?
They offered ONE rib option option, a platter for $ 15.99.
No other choice, no smaller plate or individual ribs which seems pretty excessive for a fast food lunch at a road side joint in Hickorytown. No explanation of exactly what you’re getting for your money but the billboard displays a photo of a large china dinner plate with a generous FULL rack –it clearly shows 8 or 9 ribs — a good sized bowl of cole slaw and a smaller dish with another side. We decided to go for it and share it.
What we did get was a plastic plate –the kind with little compartments that take like half the room– with only FOUR freaking ribs, a spoonful of beans, two spoonfuls of coleslaw and hush puppies. All together not even half of what was depicted on the menu.
We were both hungry and in a hurry so we decided to just eat and leave. I did point out to the cashier/​server that the picture shows a good full rack, not a measly 4 pieces, her answer was «they made changes». Not the old lady’s fault, there was no point in taking it out on her.
As a bonus the card I had to cancel the card I used at that place only a couple of hours later because some low life attempted to go shopping at Heartland USA using my account. In all fairness I used the same card at another two places so we can’t be sure where the guilty party worked.

Best bbq I have had and I have had a lot of bbq. I wish I could take this place back with me to NY.

You’ll be doing yourself a dis-​service if you don’t eat here.
If you’re looking for fine dining go elsewhere; if you’re looking for good Carolina BBQ you won’t be disappointed. I went for the Judge since i wanted to try everything; ribs were some of the best I’ve had.

Just average Q. Oven cooked. Nice onion rings.

Judge’s has some of the most decent priced meals in Hickory, especially for its location. Not only can you get a lot of food for your money, the food is actually good!
I usually stick to the chicken strips, but recently tried the chicken chunks and they’re both excellent. The BBQ isn’t half bad either, and I especially love the dinner rolls. They are made in house every morning, and taste amazing dipped in their warmed BBQ sauce.
The building itself is a bit rundown, and the tables are always sticky but the friendly upbeat staff always offer a smile and they make up for the ambiance (or lack there of).

Ups:
Decent BBQ, good sides, sandwich bread is very good
good price, food ready quickly, very casual
vinegar, mild, and spicy BBQ sauce, honey mustard (lots of choices)
Downs:
I was disappointed with the chicken strip minis. The chicken strips had no salt or other seasoning. Very plain. I imagine you could put your own salt or seasoning on them (or sauce) but I imagine they would be much better if seasoned prior to cooking. (They were very juicy though)

Good Que. While in Hickory for work, we stumbled on Judge’s. The place has a fast food feel but its food was pretty good. Pork was a little dry but was tasty with plenty of sauce.

I went through the drive thru here. The portions were large enough to get a second meal from them. The food was good, but not great. The onion rings were the best part. The service was friendly.

My dad loves this place. If the family gets together, to Judge’s we go. :)
The food is really good. The kiddos eat, which is always a plus. It’s a nice laid back place to sit back and enjoy the BBQ and all the fixings!
And, prices are good.

Friendly staff, decent breakfast platters and sandwiches. Haven’t tried the BBQ, so not much more to offer.

This really is as good as it gets!!! After a 5-​hour road trip from Atlanta with my partner a few weeks ago, my only condition on the trip is that we have great North Carolina BBQ before we went back. We just happened to find this place… and it was lip-​smackin good!
We both got the Pulled Pork Sandwiches… and it was LOADED with meat! The bun it was on was wonderful and they somehow managed to get a sweet, tangy and peppery flavor packed in their vinegar sauce. The potato wedges and onion rings were also great! It was exactly the meal I was looking for, the service was great and overall, I’d have to say this was probably my best barbecue experience in over a decade (and I eat barbecue a lot).
The exterior looks like an old Burger King… but don’t dare JUDGE this book by it’s cover!!! The food still has us trying to decide if a 5 hour drive (each way) is too far for great barbecue!!!

With a trusty Unilocal search for BBQ near my hub’s bro’s place we ended up here for some good olé Carolina BBQ. Looks like a converted fast food chain spot, but food was oh so much better than that. 4.5 stars
Cost to worth it rating: 5 (BIG sampler plate for $ 10 and tons of options for less)
Return worthiness: yes
Eve award: best long formed hush puppies, best quick service ribs
Highlights:
— Judge’s plate: combo with ribs, pork, chicken fingers, 2 sides and either hush puppies or a bun – more than enough to share for 2 and just $ 10!
— Ribs: succulent, tender, and tomato-​based saucy
— Hush puppies: like I like em fried just right and a bit sweet. I’ve never seen em any way but in an oval form, so these mozzarella finger-​like format was fun.
— Buns: so delicious my father in law could not stop raving about em
— Onion rings: humongous rings with flaky exterior
— Wedge fries: deliciously seasoned with crisp outside layer and soft potatoey insides
— Sliders: cute versions of bbq pork, hamburgers, and chicken tenders on mini buns :-)
— Smoker in the back: you know you’re getting the genuine real stuff
Midlights:
— Pulled pork: a tad on the dry side
— Chicken fingers: fresh, meaty, and not too greasy but would like more seasoning in the breading
Lowlights:
— Only 2 sauces: I’m spoiled by those locales with a big variety
— Left off the chicken fingers when our order came – I thought the picture showed them so we let them know and they delivered a batch soon after
Happy surprise from a non-​descript spot on the main road. Those ribs and hush puppies made a mark on my heart, so I’ll be back!