Backcountry Barbecue

First of all, let’s get this out the way.
I’m from here. There are more BBQ joints in this town than any other kind of restaurant. I’ve eaten at every place in town and even tried «Lexington-​style» BBQ at a Carolina themed restaurant in Chicago. You will not find better Lexington-style…or ANY-​style pork BBQ anywhere else on the planet. It’s tender, smoky, and perfect. This place isn’t a tourist destination, and if you’re looking for elegant ambiance, this isn’t for you.
I moved away 11 years ago and I make it a point to go here every time I’m home.
I would recommend getting a coarse chopped tray with slaw, hush puppies, beans and a Cheerwine. The hushpuppies are on the sweet side for some people, but they’re top notch in my book. You can ask for end pieces if you like your Q a little more charred.
I’ve read reviews on here that claim the «sauce» (it’s called dip) is «eastern style» and that the meat doesn’t taste «smokey».
These people must be used to eating meat doused with fake smoke flavor, and sauce from Western NC that has the texture of Ketchup. I love Lexington-​style BBQ and this place is tops, and a great value. Stop in, and if you’re going to leave uneducated Unilocal reviews please note that you’re from Atlanta or moved to Charlotte in the 90’s.

Excellent food and service. Good country atmosphere. Big Bacon Cheesburger and Wild West chicken sandwich. Both great.

I was traveling to Chapel Hill on Sunday and wanted to snag some Lexington BBQ on the way. Backcountry BBQ was one of the o my places open so I gave it a shot. My girlfriend and I split a large plate of chopped bbq with slaw, baked beans, and hush puppies. For just over $ 8, it was an ample amount to share for lunch and a very big portion for the money.
The pork was good but not great; it lacked the smoky flavor you’d expect, and the sauce was traditional Lexington style vinegary and ketchup-​flavored. It tasted like it had been sitting in the sauce for awhile. The slaw was very vinegary. It wasn’t traditional red slaw from the area but also wasn’t traditional mayonnaise-​heavy coleslaw. I didn’t mind it but it was way too vinegary for my girlfriend. The beans were great and had a nice smoky flavor. The hush puppies were perfect as well — crunchy outside but still pretty soft inside.
The waitresses were friendly but not super attentive; we were actually a little confused if we had a specific waitress, if we should seat ourselves, where to order, etc because no one helped us for a little while. The food was solid and the portion for the price was great. It wouldn’t be my top choice for Lexington bbq but still a solid option for cheap.

Food was good. Pork was moist and sauce was not-​too-​sweet good. They had white slaw (they also had red, but… God forbid). The waitress was sweet as pie. So why three stars?
One of the cooks had a giant rebel flag on his pickup truck and (in two visits) I saw zero people of color. Segregated BBQ… When we were walking in, my buddy Daniel turned to me and said, «Wang, this place is restricted, don’t tell them your Jewish!»

Truly enjoyed our meal. Great service and the banana pudding was so rich and delicious!

This place is one of my fall back spots, where I always get what I expect; no frills, nothing special, but a happy full belly when I exit. I always enjoy the coarse BBQ and the half chicken. The slaw is vinegary and the beans are eeeh. They serve up the plates with a lil BBQ au jus and the service is always good and fast.
I-​85 SB exit 88, turn left go about a mile on your right. See you there :)

Just ok as far as bbq goes. The bbq was soggy and too much like baby food in texture. If you dig down you find some more solid pieces of meat. The bbq sauce was nice and spicy — vinegar based.
On the other hand, the hush puppies were some the best I’ve ever tasted. The sweet tea (½ & ½) was good, too. The cole slaw was nice in that it was dressed in vinegar rather than mayo, but it was still a little too sweet.
Good old fashioned country bbq place with proud, friendly service. They cook several pork shoulders every day over hickory. Sounds good but not the best meat. Go for Lexington BBQ if your in the area and consult My State magazine for other recommendations.

THE FOOD:
$ 8.81. Coarse chopped pork barbecue plate. Coleslaw. French fries. Hush puppies. Sweet Tea.
Coarse Chopped Pork Barbecue — 3.75 stars.
Large, TENDER, moist, chunks of pork barbecue. The CHUNKS of barbecue were BIG, approximately the size of Zippo cigarette lighter. Very lean. Very clean. Well sauced. A LARGE serving. I was disappointed in the lack of smoky flavor, but I found the barbecue to be pretty good overall. The vinegar/​red pepper dip helps a lot.
Red Barbecue Coleslaw — 3.5 stars.
If I closed my eyes and I didn’t know any better, I’d swear that this red barbecue coleslaw came from Lexington Barbecue (Honey Monk’s). It tastes «almost» exactly the same. It also had the same appearance. Lexington #1 has a bit more vinegar, thus a bit more zing. Good stuff!
French Fries — 2 stars.
Crinkle cut. Far from crispy. Good taste. Unfortunately, the fries were swimming in an overflow of barbecue dip on the plate, which quickly rendered them soft, cold, and unappetizing.
Hush Puppies — 2 stars.
A much smaller portion than Cook’s Barbecue, but the same overall, «small marble» appearance. Slightly burnt. Slightly greasy. I’ve had much better.
Sweet Tea — 4 stars.
Really, REALLY, good and properly sweet, Southern sweet tea. Not too much sugar, not too little — just right.
Barbecue Sauce — 3.5 stars.
Only one barbecue sauce is offered, a thin eastern vinegar style sauce. It had a good flavor. The barbecue was so well sauced that I didn’t need to add extra.
SERVICE — 6 stars. (33% tip)
There were only two ladies serving the entire restaurant, but they did a fantastic job. My order was taken almost the instant that I sat down. My tea glass was refilled at least five times, and once to go. The waitresses were friendly and courteous. I was impressed and pleased with the service.
CLEANLINESS — 2 stars.
Sanitation rating: 92.5. This was well below my expectations. While it is still technically an «A» rating, it is suspiciously on the low end of the scale, and often indicates serious cross contamination issues or major deductions due to uncleanliness.
The entire restaurant looked old, tired, worn, and in need of a steam cleaning and an application of new paint. It was not exactly dirty, but it was far from being spic and span. One can see right into the cluttered kitchen area, and it is not a pleasant sight.
CASH ONLY
HOURS: 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. daily.
Since Cook’s BBQ is only two minutes away, I’ll probably never come here again.

I was driving and found the good reviews for this place on Unilocal.It was awesome!!! The friendliest staff, amazing BBQ, hush puppies were great, and prices were totally reasonable!!! Highly recommend to anyone who is driving along the highway and wants a local place!

Where do we start here… I work up this way pretty often and one of the easiest parts my day (normally the hardest) is what’s for lunch! There’s not place for miles that could ever compete with this gem. The prices are as low as I would want to pay before feeling like I’m ripping someone off and the food is great. The BBQ chicken is my favorite but I have had many treats from the menu and are all just tasty! If I’m passing by on the way back to the city I try to stop in to pick up the $ 10 tail gate special that’s enough to feed a family of 6 so there’s always a goo amount of left overs. All in all if your in the area you won’t regret stoping in.

I cannot say enough good things about Backcountry BBQ. Between the fast and friendly service, inexpensive but delicious food, and country atmosphere, you can’t go wrong. My favorite time to go is for lunch because they have great specials, mainly the small sirloin that comes with a side house salad, French fries and hushpuppies (or a steak roll) for only $ 5. You can’t beat that deal anywhere else. The BBQ is almost moist and tasty with or without their signature dip. When I’m wanting something a little lighter, I go for the BBQ salad. The small salad is still a big portion (the large feeds me for two meals!) with a healthy serving of BBQ on top.
If you want something filling, the big cheeseburger with all the fixings is the way to go. The lunch special comes with french fries and bakes beans.
To finish an already amazing meal, one mustn’t miss the homemade banana pudding. It is truly the best I’ve ever eaten.
This local joint gets a lot of local regulars since it’s not in mainstream Lexington, but if you’re passing through the area, it is not to be missed.

Great place to eat and get the real deal. Love the slaw, hush puppies, and chopped BBQ. A must if your in the area.

While relatively new by Lexington area standards (operating since 1984) this place continues to produce outstanding pork barbecue — cooked over wood, it is tender moist, and with some nice smokiness. It is well sauced out of the kitchen, and the slaw is one of my favorites of this type (the Red BBQ Slaw, their White is just ok).
The Pork Skin Sandwich here is simply the best. The skins are large, full of crunch, and don’t go all soggy in the slaw, which really adds to this sandwich. The Chili Dog here is not bad, just a little on the sweet side for my taste. The Hushpuppies are nice, little crunchy balls of great flavor — they are just like the ones served at Cook’s, on the other side of the county.
The BBQ Chicken (first time I’ve tried it here) was a major disappointment — it was very tender, but there was a distinct bitter taste, especially to the sauce and the skin — much as if the sauce had be allowed to burn slightly. May have just been a bad batch — stuff happens. We’ll give it try another time, and there will be another time.

Tasty bbq. I highly recommend. Very casual atmosphere, fairly quiet place — but the focus is on the bbq. Very moist and tender.

I love BBQ and they have good typical Lexington BBQ. They are easy to get in and out of good service if you eat in. They have good prices and mostly i believe Backcounrty to be for locals not visitors because it being more away from Lexington main areas. I like stopping by on my way home a pint of BBQ and some bread for dinner good price and great to eat.

Great little bitty place to eat.
We love all the food at Backcountry, which is rare for me to say about any place. They have a limited but satisfying menu with mostly barbeque items and sandwiches. They have the best char-​grilled hamburger steak in our area. Our fave is the 20 oz. sirloin steak for two and is a good value. We enjoy the salad bar that comes with the steak. The bbq chicken is a treat. Service is usually very attentive. Don’t miss the banana pudding which was voted best in the county.