Bj’s Carolina Cafe

Breakfast! It’s awesome, and there’s a buffet! One of the best breakfast buffets I’ve been to — even the scrambled eggs were yummy!

The food took a really long time to come out to the table. The owner ended up having issues with the server in front of our table which was an uncomfortable feeling. The owner told us that «the food is really good but I have been trying to train her for 3 years». The owner proceeded to tell us about how unhappy the other table was with her service. At no point did we complain about our server so I felt this was very unprofessional and awkward of the owner to do in front of customers.
The food for the most part was okay but nothing special and as I said before it took a really long time to come out which is not a server issue. The fried shrimp were good and hot, but could have use more seasoning. The fried chicken was crispy but had no seasoning. The pulled pork bbq was Carolina style and had good spice to it. The fried pickles had good flavor and were crispy. Sweet tea was good, not too sweet. With all of this being said the two things that will keep me from returning are the speed of the meal and the owner.

Returning from OBX to DC with long time Nag’s Head summer resident in early May of 2016. Apologies for taking so long to post review. My guy sez «I pass this place many, many times in the course of a season, but I’m always anxious to get where am I headed, so it’s NO GO.» I prevailed upon him to stop. Turned out to be a GREAT move.
BBQ absolutely first rate! Hospitality, off the chart! Owner, Wanda B., stopped by our table and engaged us in conversation as if we had been friends for years. Staff attentive and accomodating. Deserts outta site.
Guaranteed returnee when anywhere in the vicinity.
HIGHLY recommended.
Thanks Wanda!

Mleh. I mean, it’s ok, but mleh. I was really hoping for some wowness, based on the ratings, but no. Just… mleh.

We had my mother’s 70^th Birthday party at BJ’s, They catered all of the food and cake. The food was fantastic and they went above and beyond with the service. I would recommend BJ’s to anyone. A catered event or just a quick meal the food and service is magnificent.

Ms T and I pass by BJ’s on our way to and from the Outer Banks when we drive out. We had a chance to stop in for lunch after some furniture shopping up the road. We were late and were the only ones there, so received great, friendly attention.
I was tempted by the beautiful burger that our server was getting ready to have for her lunch break. We stopped in on Thursday which is build-​your-​own day for burgers. We just wanted to sample the barbecue since High Cotton was closed for the season. We will have to go back for the burger.
The barbecue is more of a medium coarse pull than the typical Eastern NC chop. I did not find it as tender as I expect and it was without much smoke or good pork flavor. I’m not sure it was fresh on the day we were there. They do make a very good Eastern vinegar sauce and I bought a bottle. The sauce really saved the sandwich that I had. Ms T had the same comments on the barbecue and put their sweet sauce on hers. They served us excellent slaw in the creamy style with good sweet and sour balance. We did not care for the very mustardy potato salad with chopped sweet pickle. It had too much mustard and the cinnamon from the sweet pickles is out of place. The texture of the potato salad was liked grainy mashed potatoes with cubes of undercooked potato mixed in.
So bottom line, the pork was OK, not great. We liked the slaw and did not like the potato salad. When we stay at the Outer Banks, we probably would not drive past High Cotton to get here, but if we went to Weeping Radish, I could see giving them another try either to see if the barbecue can get better or to have one of those burgers.

I don’t think they should call themselves a BBQ place, because their BBQ was awful and dry. They are more like a dinner. They had good sauces though, and the fries were the bomb indeed, as another Unilocaled put it. Good coleslaw too.

Can’t believe this place gets good reviews… They must have great BBQ if people are giving good reviews because the breakfast certainly wasn’t worthy of a good review…
We stopped for breakfast on our way home from OBX. Biscuits were hard and dry, coffee weak and watery, omelets were more cheese than egg, and the corn beef hash was tasteless. Potatoes had good flavor but were soaked in oil. We definitely won’t be going back. Only positive about this place was convenience of the location.

Good food, reasonable, not fancy.
In baseball terms, our first visit here was a solid double (extra star awarded due to the scarcity of decent food on this stretch of road). We’ve driven by here many times, probably, but this time I used Unilocal to plan our stops ahead of time on our 8ish hour drive home from the Outer Banks. Not a lot of good options between Kitty Hawk and Hampton.
BJ’s doesn’t make a big statement outside or inside, but the service was friendly and the food was good for the price. Our lunching group tried the hand-​breaded chicken tenders, French dip, Philly cheese steak, crab cake, and veggie wrap. Everyone enjoyed it. Fries especially good.
Downside: Mac & cheese side was okay but Cheez-​Whizzy. Iced tea was weak. Veggie wrap was heavy on the balsamic. When we arrived at noon on Saturday, there was a breakfast buffet still up that looked a bit sad.
Overall, a good value for tasty sandwiches, served quickly and with a smile. When you’re stuck on the road, that’s saying a lot.

From BBQ to cakes… dining in or catering my sister’s wedding, Wanda and BJ always deliver great food!

Great food! Nice staff and good prices, corn bread, cole slaw and fries to die for! A new family tradition when we leave the outer banks.

Our waitress Tammy said «the fries are the BOMB» and she wasn’t lying. BJ’s is everything you hope this kind of place is going to be. Great BBQ, great Cheese Steak, don’t miss the cornbread! Taking home cornbread mix and BBQ sauce.

Best food I have eaten in the area! The bbq has the perfect smokey flavor! The chicken is hand-​breaded just like mom does! The sweet tea is perfect! The customer service is excellent and the place is clean! I hope I can make it back before I leave!

Stopped by here on out way home. Greeted by the friendly owner. Ordered ribs basket and BBQ sandwich, both delicious!!! Highly recommended

Cute place stopped for breakfast I our way out, staff was nice but sadly the service was slow, coffee was weak food was mediocre maybe an off day

What a find! Great family owned restaurant with great food. Eggs were cooked perfectly. Great bacon and biscuits to die for. Daddy BJ comes in early to make the biscuits himself. My husband took 4 extra biscuits on the road with us. Ordered BBQ to take with us and Wanda wrapped it up on ice for the road. Can’t wait to try the BBQ with their award winning sauce when we get home. Great place to stop on the way home from OBX.

A sign of a good restaurant is when you see lots of LOCALS there. Yep, locals go to BJ’s! Good food, a family atmosphere, excellent service, and very reasonable prices. My hubby and I had dinner at BJ’s last week. I had steamed shrimp, and they were outstanding. (Believe me, I grew up eating shrimp, so I’m quite picky… these were fantastic… large with just the right amount of seasoning). Hubby had BBQ and ribs, both really good. Tons of food… so much a take-​out container was needed! My fav are the crabcakes!!! Very little filler, so you truly taste the crab! I recommend folks traveling to the Outer Banks make a pit stop at BJ’s…you’ll be glad you did!

We ate at BJ’s for lunch today. I had pulled pork without any sauce and the meat was very bland. It had some decent spices and seasoning, but it had no flavor of being smoked. The fries were great and so was the banana pudding. The cornbread was quite mediocre, unfortunately. The service was great and fast. Our server was very attentive and helpful.
We usually eat at Currituck BBQ and love it. That’s where we’ll go next time we’re in the area. BJ’s doesn’t compare.

Super friendly staff, tasty home cooked meals and awesome desserts. That pretty much sums it up.
Jumbo wings with several sauce choices and fried pickle spears were just a few of the appetizers on the menu. Wife had the flounder (which was very good) and I went for the fried chicken. Really enjoyed our meal and plan on stopping by more often.
There is a small bar too but not one with TVs so your meal isn’t interrupted as in some places.

This place is out a ways, 5 or 6 miles beyond the Wright Memorial Bridge on NC 158. We used to come out this way when Saul’s BBQ was still open, so we thought we’d give the BBQ here a shot.
The chopped pork here is quite good, much better than I had anticipated actually. It is very lightly sauced out of the kitchen, but tender and has little smokiness. The meat is brown in color rather than the gray you usually see — probably a combination of cooking method and sauce. The bun of the sandwich is not the standard bun, more of a brioche, and it is firmer than you usually see, but the sandwich works, and the slaw is nice.
Whatever, this is worth a try if you’re in the area. The FFs are also good., and the service is excellent. We’ll be back next trip down to the OBX.