Old Carolina Barbecue Company

Relaxed environment to eat with your family. The Barbecue choices all had distinctive and delicious flavors to them. Also the portions were good for the price.

I’ve heard mix reviews about this place but I was pleasantly surprised by my lunch. The ribs fall off the bone, they are moist. The pulled pork was tasty. I’m used to a sweeter baked bean then what they have but I’m guessing this was a southern version. I’m taking a bunch home because the portion was generous. I’m happy with my experience.

I was in there around noon on a Monday and the place was completely empty — a very bad sign in a busy area of the city.
The workers were totally disinterested in me being a first time customer and couldn’t make any recommendations — or string a sentence together for that matter
I had pulled pork and I did not enjoy it. It tasted blah and I felt very sick afterwards.
I wouldn’t go back if the food were free

Came here during A2 restaurant week with the wife and kids.
AMBIANCE– the place is big and wooden. this is an order and sit kind of place, so no waiter service here. It kind of reminds me of a chipotle the way they are set up, only they serve bbq instead of tacos.
SERVICE– people working the counter were friendly, although when I started asking them a bit about their products, they didn’t really seem to know (I asked the guy what type of tea they used for their sweet tea and he had no idea).
MENU– about what you’d expect from a bbq joint– pulled pork, ribs, chicken, brisket. They do sell meat by the pound too, but I imagine most people come here and get a sandwich or a meal. Sides have your typical mac n cheese, baked beans, slaw and such.
FOOD– we got the meat sampler for two which included ribs, pulled chicken, turkey, brisket, and pulled pork, 4 sides and boardwalk bites. They actually ran out of boardwalk bites, so we just got banana pudding. No one meat in particular seemed to really blow us away. And no matter what combination of sauce we used, we weren’t wow in any shape or form. The mac n cheese was a little dry, the beans were ok, and the fries (we got two orders) were a little salty for our liking.
OVERALL– not that impressed. Not helping the matter was a girl who threw up in a booth, and all along the way to the bathroom. Workers were not so quick to react, which was kinda sad.
CELEBRITY RATING– Boss Hog

I had the Pulled pork sandwich and the vinegar coleslaw. I tried the Sreamin’ Beaver sauce, but it was a little thin, and the Original Classic, which had a nice flavor. My Brother had the Chicken Breast sandwich and baked beans, and my son tried the Pulled Pork with the hush puppies. My son really liked the hush puppies, and said they «weren’t greasy at all», like many he has had. We all liked the food, and the atmosphere was nice, but it wasn’t cheap. I did like that they had several MI craft beers on tap. I’ll stop in again.

***OLD CAROLINA = OK ANN ARBOR BBQ…***
BBQ here was decent. In no way does it stack up to places in NC though. The pulled chicken I got was pretty good quality, but lacked flavor… BBQ (at least chicken or pork) should be able to stand up on its own, and frankly, this stuff needed sauce. Spicy sauce packs serious punch while still having substantial taste. I also enjoyed the vinegar sauce, but their «classic» sauce was way too sweet for my palette.
Got to give credit where its due: the hush puppies were excellent. This is a relatively simple dish but they were as good here frankly as I’ve had anywhere. The corn muffins were premade, cold, and small, but tasted okay. Not recommended as a side, since most grocery store small corn muffins would be indistinguishable for a similar price.
Probably the most annoying part was the customer service. If for some reason the food wasn’t a clear enough wake up call to anyone that they weren’t in Carolina while eating here, the LACK of «old carolina» southern hospital sure was. Called in my order, which involved talking to a couple of people. When I arrived, it was obvious they never put in the order, and the plethora of workers just standing around weren’t at all apologetic about it. I asked for an update after about 10 minutes and the woman behind the desk said they were «really busy» that night — with all due respect, I had to point out there were a grand total of TWO PEOPLE (!!!) eating in (and no one else arrived to pick up anything while I was waiting). If that is «really busy,» this place isn’t going to be around too long… The manager was kind but also not apologetic or even willing to admit they made an error when I had to wait for all the food to be made fresh in front of me.
For anyone from Carolina, this would be like Popeyes comparing themselves to Cookout. It has its place, but is simply just not the same thing. I hope I caught the team on an «off day» attitude wise and they can improve the flavor of the chicken – the interior space is nice and the prices aren’t too bad.
FINAL VERDICT: Satchel’s wins over Old Carolina, besides for hush puppies.

I tried Old Carolina BBQ’s pulled pork and brisket that was catered to an event I attended. WOW.
Pulled Pork– It was incredibly tender– the meat just fell apart and melted in my mouth. I tried the spicy bbq sauce along with it… It definitely had quite a kick and complimented the pork very well!
Brisket– there were some cuts with a lot of fat… but I imagine this is why the brisket was so tender. It was seasoned well– I really didn’t need anything else to go with my brisket.
Salad– It was a plain salad but CORNBREAD CROUTONS were uh-​mazing!

Very good food Nice selection! Will be back!!! Love the baked beans. There was no little containers to put the barq sauce in but other than that I love this place

We really enjoyed our trip to Old Carolina BBQ!
The pulled pork was really delicious and so was the brisket sandwich. The Mac and cheese was okay, would probably stick with the baked beans or hush puppies as a side. Highly recommend giving this place a try!
TIP: Show up close to opening so you know it’s really fresh

A bit surprised by the poor reviews. Didn’t check Unilocal before I came in here but just had one of best brisket sandwiches I’ve ever had. Moist, tender and delicious.
It did take a little longer to get our food than I would have thought, especially seeing that we were the only people in here. Can’t imagine if it got busy.

The absolute worst BBQ I’ve ever had, the service was also a complete joke. I don’t understand how you can have a «fast food» bbq joint? Ok so first I’ll start with the ribs. They reminded me of Old country buffet or Golden Corral, they weren’t smoked they were baked… Embarrassing. The pulled pork was like the stuff you buy at the grocery store. Garbage. I’m not sorry for this place, they are a disgrace to the carolinas and Pit masters that do real bbq and do it the way it should be done. Ok. And for this guy «Trying» to make his business look somewhat decent. I’ll definitely say that all the food was absolutely mediocre and I was in an «Old Carolina BBQ co» in Ann Arbor Michigan. This guy! Thinking I didn’t know where I was? Lol. It’s pretty rude to judge a paying customer that spends money they work for on terrible BBQ. But who am I? Just some guy with 4 reviews and I’m uneducated? Get real! I wouldn’t come back to this failure of business if they were giving away their crappy fake BBQ. Have a great day.
PS. A real owner or ceo or whomever runs the show would have said «I’m deeply sorry for your experience at our establishment. Not «You’re uneducated and on a mission. Any owner or manager that has to get on Unilocal and make potential customers feel bullied is a joke. I hope sales are down.

Food was good. Price seemed reasonable. Counter service was very unhappy and very unhelpful. Disappointing. Low score for poor service. I would have enjoyed myself more if the server didn’t act like she was bothered by providing lower than average service.

Ok food was pretty good for what it is. It is college student run, no thought required, fast casual BBQ.
Ordered the Texas which is brisket and ¹⁄₃ rack ribs for $ 16.99. Menu states another meat can be added for $ 5. Most mathematicians would say that will cost you $ 21.99. Not so fast. They automatically give you a different plan and because brisket was part of my overall order they tack on an extra $ 2. I think they call this bait and switch.
Remember the brisket that cost an extra $ 2? Ended up being 2 full ¼″ slices cut in half (to make me think there’s a lot?!). Pulled pork was about an ice cream scoop’s worth. The ripoff is complete.
Food alright for being made with a «process». Worthy of 3 stars. Hyper-​franchised corporate pricing and marketing hell — half star.

Even after reading lots of Unilocal reviews, I still wasn’t sure if this was a sit down place (you know, where you have a waiter) or not. I was trying to kill time before work, and I didn’t have time for a sit down place. Walking in the front, I still was unsure. I finally saw the «order» and «pickup» signs and walked right in. So if your wondering, it’s like fancier takeout.
The service was very friendly! After you order they give you a number and bring your food out for you. They even came out to check on how I was doing.
The food was good. I got a brisket sandwich with hush puppies because I heard they were good. I liked the sandwich but I thought the hush puppies were a little dry, but the taste was good.
I would come again.

I took my friend here because they had never been to this local spot. When we walked in the door she commented on how great it smelled. You walk up and see 4 large menus hung on the wall. There are a variety of bbq items on the menu. I chose the combination with ribs and chicken. The order came with cornbread and I chose baked beans and a chicken stew however, they did not have baked beans but so the baked chickpeas were recommended. there is no sauce on the bbq. You have to retrieve your own at the utensil are. There are 5 different sauces, Mild, Hot and 2 other Sweet based sauce and a mustard sauce. The bbq was tender and the stew was tasty. This was good bbq but not the best. The price also caught me by surprise at $ 44. This may have been due to both of us having combos. It is worth vising, tasting and trying for yourself.

Ok I have to go with my gut here a much as I hate giving one star reviews.
This place continues to get worse. Today my first bite into my pulled pork sandwich was a massive hunk of gristle that snapped under my bite. The hush puppies have become dry and flavorless. And the wait! For real. We have been here about a dozen times now and I make a game of looking at the screen with the orders on it. I’ve not once seen the «On Time» be in double digits. Today it was 4%. The business owners clearly need to bring in new management. We ordered two pulled pork sandwiches and two sides. There was no one else in line and it was over 10 minutes to get our food. Im sorry but isn’t the pork precooked? Clearly with the hunks of fat and gristle I’ve found, it’s not as if they are using that time for quality control. What I observe is 2 – 4 employees all on the cashier side staring at the monitor as if dazed and confused.
I’ve had it continually trying to give this place, which isn’t exactly cheap, another shot — hopefully they go under and somewhere better moves in.

Okay Unilocalsters, long time user first time review. Maybe this place had issues when they first opened but don’t see them now. OLD CAROLINA HAS GREAT BARBECUE that is fast, well priced, and right off 94 (Whole Foods behind the place has barbecue on the hot bar — same price but nowhere near the quality). The store itself is clean and has a nice atmosphere. Check out the tables when you visit — not your typical plywood.
Here are my random thoughts on the food —
Best darn sliced turkey I’ve had ANYWHERE period.
AWESOME ribs, great crust, smokey and tender but don’t fall apart when eating.
Brisket is lightly smoked and lean. I would prefer more smoke and lard but I guess this is healthier.
The pulled pork is good but I would go for the turkey or ribs.
They also have whole smoked turkeys and hams that are a easy out for Thanksgiving/​Christmas. Serious, the ham is on par with Honey Baked with a better REAL smokey flavor. The Turkey has the best gold crust.
All the sides are good, I usually end up with fries and green beans.
Where else can you get Cheerwine on tap in AA???
Nice selection of beer and wine available too.
All in all, I created a Unilocal profile cause I disagreed with the overall ratings. This place is 4.5 stars and I’ll round up to show some love. If you want solid barbecue with a nice sit down atmosphere you won’t be disappointed.

Came here after reading about the opening of this place on
.
For my meal here, i had the trio of meats which consisted of the ribs (pretty good), Brisket (probably the best thing here and to be honest the best brisket i have ever had), and ¼ chicken (good, nothing special). For my sides i had the Macaroni and Cheese (also really good, probably top 10 in the area) and the fries (probably second best thing here, also really really good and some of the best fries in the area).
Love the fact that it is fast service 10 minutes or less barbq, $ 5pints of beer, and there sauces here are also good (they have four and i rank them like this: screamin beaver, piedmont number 5, carolina gold, and sweet molasses). Overall i will definitely be back as it did fulfill my barbq wants and most of all, i do want to try the turkey next time.

As someone that loves BBQ and is willing to drive out of the way to try new joints, I was excited for their opening… especially it being located close to the house!
I waited over a month, to let them work out their operational stuff out of the way… parking here is plentiful… the interior is nice, modern, looks like southern design, they have two TV’s and it’s self seating.
You walk in, turn left and go through the line of ordering… they only have on register and I can see how this can cause a long line… in fact, I understand what others were saying, when you had to say ‘excuse me’ to enter or leave the restaurant if there was a long line. Thankfully, on this day, it was slow and I was able to quickly order my food.
I went with the outlaw and added one more meat… 4 ribs, pulled pork and brisket with green beans and mac-​n-​cheese. I also got Oberon beer for $ 6… total, I spend like $ 27 with taxes and all… they give you a number for your table as you leave… got my beer and found a seat.
While waiting, I got my bbq sauces, hot peppers and slice pickles and was ready to go… of all the sauces they had, I preferred the honey and tangy. Within few minutes my food came out… the presentation looked good.
So here’s the review…
— Brisket: lukewarm and dried… the meat could have been more tender, but not sure if it was sitting in the warmer most of the day or not, but first and foremost, they need to bump up the heat and the meat needs to cook longer in the smoker.
— Pulled Pork: the meat was tender, but it was lukewarm. If it was a lot hotter, the meat would have been a lot better.
— Ribs: the ribs were the best out of the meats I got… the ribs were hotter then other meat on the plate… I can tell the meats were smoked based upon the color of the bone… but it was difficult to taste that smoke in the meat.
— Green Bean: it was hot and the beans were tender… not bad as a side dish… I would get this again next time.
— Mac & Cheese: the stiffest mac-​n-​cheese I had… the cheese hardened quickly… it could have used more milk or something to make the cheese more smooth.
Overall, not bad for first experience… based upon my first experience i will have to give 2.5 stars, but since I can’t give half stars, two stars for now… Will be back to try other side dishes and see if BBQ meats are better, since it’s hit or miss at all bbq joints!

As soon as you pull in the parking lot of the Old Carolina BBQ, your mouth begins to water. It smells like smoke, meat, and sauce. Three of my favorite things.
I was very excited to see that a new bbq place would be coming to this side of town.
As others have mentioned, the menu is extensive. They have chicken, ribs, pulled pork, brisket, smoked sausage, and turkey. In terms of sides, they have many to choose from, mac and cheese, coleslaw (creamy and vinegar), apples, fries, etc
The interior is large and modern, but comfy. In addition to soda and tea, they offer a small number of beers and wines.
I came on Sunday to pick up dinner for that evening. I ended up getting the «renegade» with three meats. I ordered pulled pork, ribs, and a quarter chicken (white meat) and creamy coleslaw and mac and cheese as my sides.
I ended up eating the chicken without the sauce. It was very smoky and moist and I didn’t want to cover anything up with sauce. It was excellent. My husband had the pulled pork and the ribs. He said the ribs had a little too much cartlidge, but that the pulled pork was good with the moleases bbq sauce. The creamy coleslaw was good (like KFC’s, which is his favorite), but the mac and cheese was bland. The corn muffin was very good. At least, according to my husband. We only received one despite the large amount of meat and sides we ordered.
They have several different sauces to choose from and range from sweet to mustard to hot. I really enjoyed the the Piedmont sauce, which was a touch vinegary, but still tomato.
Overall, I would recommend it. You get a lot of food for your money. The staff is nice. The parking is plentiful and it’s in a great location (near the mall, I-​94, Whole Foods, etc).