Judge’s Riverside Barbeque

The cheese sticks are amazing! But the portions have seemed to be a little smaller than they used to be. Everything they deep fry in the batter is delicious. The barbecue is really good as well abs the wings aren’t bad.

This place was great!!! The service was very prompt, friendly and refills were often. We got a full rack of ribs, chicken strips and the Texas brisketwith their signature burned in preparation. The baked sweet potato with their butter was delicious. The chef came out to greet us at the end of our meals. We got a s’mores cheesecake that was a great way to end the meal.

Used to have an extensive gluten free menu. Learned today at lunch they have greatly reduced their gluten free options. Very sad. We have very few gluten free options in this area and now we have less.

This was our second trip to Judge’s. We returned to Judge’s because they can accommodate a strict Gluten Free diet plus the food is good.
The hostess Stella and waitress JO were knowledgeable about gluten free diets and cross contamination. They were able to prepare fresh potato chips and onion rings fried with no flour in oil with no other foods. And they were very tasty. The pulled pork was not as flavorful as I would like, rather bland missing a smoked flavor. The salad bar was wonderful, very fresh and full of a variety of vegetables, fruits and salads to choose from. The price of the meals was reasonable.
Our granddaughter got a children’s chicken breast and it looked hand breaded and was a lot of food for the 3.99.
The staff was very helpful, friendly and provided great service.
Will definitely choose Judge’s to eat next time we visit NC.
Thank you!
We visited Judge’s a week later and were sadly disappointed in our meal and will never go back.
The brisket did not have any smoke ring, no flavor and barely warm.
Although the potato chips and onion rings were gluten free which I do appreciate, they tasted terrible and barely edible. The chips were dripping with oil, soggy and no flavor and the onion rings did not taste good due to some seasoning mixed with the outside coating.
The price was fair and the quantity of food was very ample but what good is that if it tastes terrible. The service was only mediocre.
Sorry about having to post such a negative review but the third time was the last time.

I don’t know what happen to this place ! it use to be out of this world good but my last to visits have been lacking. Floors were dirty and food was very greasy. I use to love this place me and my wife use to go here very often while we were dating and loved it. It might just have been on the Friday nights we went but I’ll try it one more time before I mark it off the list but I know they can do a lot better and i’m looking forward to going and hoping it was just bad nights.

The sirloin tips were supposed to be medium rare, and they came out well done. The flounder was okay. Small portions. I don’t usually like hush puppies, but these were very tasty. Maybe we should have done the buffet with the BBQ. It was okay but I wouldn’t stop there again.

Beautiful setting on the river, this is a great place to stop between Charlotte and Asheville. Not far from the highway, it’s easy to get to. The barbecue was good and being next to a park with trails, we didn’t feel out of place ordering food to go and eating on the picnic tables outside. However, the order took forever to prepare, and we seemed to hit a shift change. Sitting there I heard much extra conversation between the waitstaff about their lives.

The buffet was good, bbq chicken and pulled pork. Well worth the price if you’re hungry. The location is excellent, next to the broad river with a view.

Beyond expectation.
Being from the WDC/​MD area, we asked our resident family where to get good bbq
In Morganton. «We could go to Judges» was the answer. When asked about food quality she states «the chicken fingers are good»
What? The chicken fingers are good was not the correct answer.
It was July 4^th and being rained out for fireworks, we went anyway.
Wow were we surprised and elated. The manager/​chef «Phil» presented at our table, and made some small talk. Minutes later we were handed a sampler platter of Phil ’ s specialties. Burnt end brisket, PBR
Shrimp w/​creole sauce, and fried potato salad. After savoring these delicacies, it was no surprise to learn Phil was the winner of Food Networks bbq championship two years in a row!
Pearl our congenial waitress served our orders efficiently and with the grace of a ballet dancer.
The brisket was done to a perfect consistency and taste. The green bean almondine, hush puppies and yuengling were perfect. We couldnt have asked for a more perfect dining experience.
Thank you Pearl and Phil!

The service wasn’t great, the food was ok, but the location is beautiful. I may not be the one to ask since I don’t eat pork, but after hearing so many good things about it from locals I was a little disappointed. There could also be more vegetarian options.

Couldn’t pass up the opportunity to revisit this Morganton BBQ standout on our trip up to Spruce Pine. Our last visit was several years before the area was flooded and much of the restaurant was destroyed, as was much else in this area — this was 2004 or 2005.
The restaurant has been nicely remodeled, lots of wood and large windows, bright and airy. There is plenty of outside seating (porches, several layers of rambling decks) all overlooking the Catawba River. We chose to sit outside on the porch, but out of the sun — very, very pleasant, with a soft, cooling breeze.
This restaurant fits into the Barbecue Emporium category because it serves a variety of smoked meats, not just the lowly swine favored in so many of the old line NC BBQ restaurants, east and west — they offer Pork BBQ, Ribs, Brisket, and Smoked Chicken. .The menu also includes some nice appetizer choices, Burgers and other sandwiches, Fish and Shrimp, and even Steak and some Pasta options.
We order a lunch plate of Ribs (½ rack for $ 16.99) and a lunch plate of Brisket ($ 13.59). For sides we choose white slaw, hot chips, and seasoned fries, with HPs coming with each plate. We also ordered a Chopped Pork Sandwich ($ 7.49) to go, so we could try most of what they offered in the smoked meat department. As the prices indicate, this is not an inexpensive place for lunch, or any meal for that matter.
Both the Ribs and the Brisket were very good — the Ribs were falling off the bone (and the portion size was nice but should be at this price), the Brisket was not as tender as some, but very flavorful, especially when well sauced, and the portion size here did nothing to justify the cost. The Brisket we rec’d was sauced and then quickly seared to enhance the taste, a nice way to serve this cut.
The sauce here is a thick, red, somewhat sweet sauce with a spicy hook, which I think lends its self more to brisket and ribs than pork. Both the ribs and the brisket had a very nice smoky flavor, sans the sauce.
The HPs were very nice, as were the seasoned fries, and the hot chips. The slaw was, well slaw. The Chopped Pork was smoky, but is served (on the sandwich, anyway) unsauced, and is pulled rather than chopped, thus stringy. This combination makes the sandwich, as served, more than a little dry. The house sauce combats the dryness, but smothers the smoky taste of the pork. Can’t help but feel that this sandwich, which comes with a very small side, is considerably overpriced.
We might stop in for the ribs and brisket if in the area, but this is not a destination restaurant for Chopped NC Pork BBQ, at least not for us, and this is definitely not the home of the value meal. It is a pleasant place to have a meal, and the service was excellent.

Extremely friendly and attentive staff. The atmosphere is lovely and clean. The salad bar has fresh ingredients (not just bagged greens dumped in a bowl). The food is super tasty and the prices are just right. We are not from Morganton, but we do drive through very often. We will definitely be back!

We few. We fortunate few. We, who visit/​reside in one of the two great BBQ regions of America. They’re so plentiful, it seems one can’t throw a rock without hitting either a church or a BBQ joint. And like churches in this area, it seems that each BBQ location has its devout legions, lead by an owner-​prophet eager to convert or slay anyone who might offer a nay-​say regarding their particular dining offering.
No, it’s really not that bad, which is fortunate, as something as susceptible to subjective tastes and egos as BBQ could lead to altercations that would make the Cola Wars of the last century a minor skirmish in the annals of human history.
BBQ is complicated; beginning with the most important & elementary item on the recipe: The MEAT!
Beef or Pork? Chicken or Shrimp? Goat? Betty or Veronica? Pulled, sliced, or racked? And then there’s the wood used in the smoking process: Hickory or Maple? Apple or Mesquite? Ginger or Mary Anne? Ford or Chevy?
Sauces? Tomato based, vinegar based, honey-​sweet or tart? Baked-​in, baked-​on, squrted-​slathered-​after? Or, various dry-​rub seasonings?
ALL very subjective reasonings that one filters to arrive at His or Her decision regarding the ‘best’ BBQ. So many permutations, so many locations, so many egos!
Luckily, for our consideration there are items to consider that aren’t subjective. Seating, noise levels, cleanliness, lighting, staffing, presentation, ADA compliance, parking, ect. After all, who among us has not had a good meal spoiled by a failure of any of the above?
Thankfully, there’s no Dancing Cows or Pigs offered as «authentic» décor at Judges BBQ. This is a real restaurant, historically the first ‘full-​fledged, dedicated BBQ restaurant’ in Morganton. Seating can be had either on an expansive deck or in one of several spacious dinning rooms. The decks overlook the Catawba River and the Riverwalk path. There’s a play area incorporated into one section of the outdoor eating area, a nice touch/​option for large families or groups.
The FOOD (you though I had forgotten!) I dove into a Texas Brisket! The total absence of various sauces stationed on the tables speaks volumes as to the QUALITY of the BBQ process used at Judges. The well-​defined ‘smoke ring’ on each slice of my brisket is definite evidence that their offerings are TRUE BBQ.
The TASTE! «Oh MY!» Each slice of brisket was «cut with a fork tender»; savory; moist with grilled-​in BBQ flavor, offered with just enough char to fill out the full flavor palate.
Several sides are offered; I chose the ‘tater salad and baked beans. There were average, as was the extruded hush-​puppies.
We selected as our appetizer the Fried Mushrooms, which were delivered to our table (CAUTION-​CAUTION!) PIPING HOT, with ranch and honey mustard dipping sauces! This particular appetizer would satisfy a party of four.
I’d like to return and attack the clean, well-​stocked salad bar, but I doubt I could avoid the temptation of another BBQ plate!
Interior noise hovered at 76db, despite a packed dinning area. The parking area was clean and well-​lighted, with parking for even larger-​sized vehicles available. ADA access is fine, as is indoor access.
Solid restaurant; Solid food; Solid service!

Ok, so the name may be a bit odd, but there may be some history to it. Judges Riverside is unique in that it looks like a typical home cooking kind of joint on the front side, but walk in and ask to sit outside. There you’ll find a large multi tiered deck overlooking a large fast flowing river with beautiful landscaping! They seem to specialize in BBQ ribs, pulled pork, and BBQ chicken. Although their Reuben sandwich looked phenomenal! We tried their pulled pork, which had two hand breaded tenders, and baked beans, house made chips, and hush puppies. The pork was so tender and just flavored by itself without having sauce on it! The tenders were so good and just perfect with the seasoned baked beans! There’s a large salad bar inside which had a ton of fresh veggies, and a couple of pasta salads! I thoroughly enjoyed the bar, and would do it by itself or as a add-​on with a entrée. It seems as Sunday may be the day to go, as they have a buffet set up with all of their meats and sides to try out. My next visit will be on a Sunday to sample more of their in house goodness! Court is adjourned!

Went for lunch, wasn’t impressed in the slightest. When we arrived, there was no one to be seen, and when someone from the staff did show up– they continued a conversation with a coworker before acknowledging us. We went for a very late lunch, and asked to be seated inside because it was hot, though there was plentiful outdoor seating. There were many wonderful spots near windows, but we were seated in a dark corner by the entrance to the kitchen. Our table was very sticky and I almost left before ordering. We stayed because I assumed that the food had to be pretty good, it seemed like the only explanation for how the place could still be in business.
The waitress was not on her game. We were her only table, and I couldn’t even get a refill without asking. We had a couple come in nearly 10 minutes after us, and we overheard that they ordered the exact same two entrees that we did, however, theirs came out 5 minutes before ours did. It was very strange. Another waitress who came in at the same time we did ordered a sandwich, and it was also brought out well before our food.
Food came, I tried BBQ and my friend a Burger. Neither were anything to write home about, very small portions, unlike that of the usual dive-​y southern food place. Went because of good reviews on Unilocal,and was hoping to be able to write another– but, alas, it doesn’t deserve more than 2 stars. I’d steer clear.

The food here is very tasty. Great ribs and the smoked chicken is fantastic, it all just falls off the bone. The view is wonderful and I’ve really enjoyed eating watching the river.
Unfortunately it seems like they only hire teenagers with little to no experience. Each time I’ve been here the order has been brought out wrong, things forgotten. Ask for a refill or extra sauce and it never comes. It really dampens what would be a great experience.

Great idea for lunch! Good barbecue and fish. Nice salad bar. Wonderful location and outside seating for warmer weather! Nice dining room with cozy fireplace and great view of the river. Welcoming staff and fast service.

The food is average but there aren’t a lot of options in Morganton outside of fast food. The hard piece it isn’t consistent. Some night it will be phenomenal and others we can’t take more than one bite.
I knock it down one star from average because the service is just plain bad. Heavily employed by teens most of which could give two craps about customer service. There are a few exceptions but on the whole it’s just bad.
Positive great location on the river.
Follow-​up: at the conclusion of the meal I had to take it down to one star. The brisket tonight was boiled and HORRIBLE.

Food was good — got «The Judge» with BBQ pork, ribs, and smoked chicken. Ribs were delicious. The BBQ pork I got was chopped pork (not pulled pork) & also good. Sat outside by the river, couldn’t have been better. Like other reviews, our server was MIA the entire time, but the server for the table next to us was great!
Edit: after visiting multiple times, I have grown tired of this restaurant. Service all around is pretty blah. They’re slow, forgetful (don’t think about placing a custom order bc they’ll get it wrong), and hard to get ahold of.

First… travelers…it’s just a few miles north of 40. Don’t fear the unknown… pull off.
Ok reviewers… it’s by a river… has cute chairs outside… on a greenway… has corn hole… has beer…
Yeah yeah yeah… da da da
The pulled pork sand which is really fantastic. Slightly Smokey meat… not overly so… yeasty bun… not to chunky… not too ground up.
Vinegar sauce is great and a spicy mustardy sauce too. Baked beans are ok only… A not so good surprise of green pepper in them… hrrrm. Hush puppies are long ones. Also good. The red slaw is vinegary and spicy. Awesome.
On this trip I tried three joints… best meat… best Sammy.
And yeah, it’s a nice place too… oook. Da da da