Short Sugar’s Bar-B-Q

The place is for sale, the restaurant is CLOSED.

Not bad, not great. Friendly waitresses, quick service, seems more of a diner than a BBQ joint. Ate here a few months ago whilst working in the area, wouldn’t go out of my way to stop by.

I went here while visiting Danville because it wad 1. Within walking distance to my hotel and 2. Recommended to me by a local who said this place was famous because President Obama ate there while passing through. It’s a BBQ diner style place so I wasn’t expecting fine dining. However, it IS the South and I was expecting better BBQ than I could get in Cali… But I was wrong. I ordered chicken, ribs, corn and baked potato. It was 6 o clock, right at dinner time, so you would expect these items to be fresh, but no. The baker potato was obviously a few hours past it’s prime (Was super dry), the corn tasted like it was made yesterday, and the chicken and ribs were also a little dry although not as bad. They have two sauces: a «classic» and a sweet sauce. I got the classic, which I used to drown the potato — I found I bland for a BBQ joint. Not impressed and I’ll not go there again. But I do have to say the staff was very nice and accommodating. They were very sweet teenage girls who all sounded like Sookie from «True Blood»… Super charming.

Get the Beef BBQ Sandwich, fries, slaw, Iced Tea. Now, that’s a meal! Looks like they’ve still got it…

OK BBQ.
Nothing really special or bad enough to comment on.

I went there for breakfast. It was ok. The price is better than IHOP. I ordered bfast. forget the name, but it has bacon+two eggs+pancake for $ 4.99

Even though I’m on a diet and avoiding fatty foods, I still get weak-​kneed when I see a BBQ joint, and I’m especially prone to going there if it looks family owned, down home and regional in its style of execution. Check, check, and check, and this place is tasty!
I visited here with a North Carolina native who kindly explained the nuanced differences between North Carolina BBQ and that of Virginia. I still haven’t committed all of this to memory, but I did note that the Virginia style had more tomato and less vinegar. Still, the ribs were wickedly delicious, and I didn’t regret getting the lunchtime «bottomless» rib deal. I’m a bit ashamed of what that did to my diet.
But, in the end, it was worth it.

This place looks like a gem from the outside. it’s a little shack with a sign that has a happy looking pig on the front. But if you are looking for good barbeque I suggest that you keep on driving. I ordered the barbecue chicken and it seriously looked like it had died on my plate.

The original Short Sugar’s in Reidsville North Carolina has been pit cooking BBQ since 1949. This, the Danville Virginia location, isn’t as old, but it cooks its Q the same «Pit» way. Route 58 East runs right through Danville and continues on to South Boston. Short Sugar’s is off 58 East. Stay on 58 East as if you were going to South Boston, which you are NOT! and stay in the right lane. Don’t! Exit at the turn for Chapel Hill, NC (Route 86). Continue straight on Route 58 East towards South Boston, which is a town you are not going too, About a mile or so further and you will see Short Sugar’s off to your right. Stop here, eat and be happy. Now that you can find Short Sugar’s, you will soon be able to feast on the best North Carolina style Q in Virginia. Short Sugar’s slow cooks their BBQ in pits over hardwood coals. Then the Q is basted with the family’s secret sauce. I ordered the chopped Q sandwich topped with slaw. I had sweet tea to drink with hushpuppies and baked beans as my sides. The baked beans were very good and the sweet tea was outstanding. It had a rich brewed flavor with the perfect amount of sweetness and lemon. The hushpuppies were the perfect side for the Q sandwich, they were shaped like onion rings and had a nice sweet taste to them. My BBQ sandwich was excellent, it was tender and juicy and had the just the right amount of sauce. It was perfect.

The other reviews aren’t entirely accurate. Short Sugars was founded in Reidsville, NC, back in the 1940s (1945, I think; my dad grew up in Reidsville and remembers going there as a kid). They added the Danville restaurant some time in the 1980s, if I recall.
The BBQ is not the Eastern NC spicy kind, so it is sweeter than some people like it. However, they have awesome hush puppies, hamburgers and hot dogs. The desserts are also very tasty. Whenever we eat there, I always get a cheeseburger and fries. Their sweet tea is delicious!

I agree — this is just ok. The pork comes one of 3 ways: minced, chopped or sliced, which are all kind of the same. It comes in a pile with sauce on the side in a little checked paper bowl. Slaw is ok, hushpuppies not great. Food came suspiciously fast and just failed to impress. For a place that has been around since the 40s, this que was pretty disappointing.

This is an okay BBQ spot that opened back in the 40s. It has lots of seating and friendly waitresses. Service is quick… however, I found the food to sugary… perhaps that is why Sugar is in the name of the place? If you like sweet BBQ this is the place for you. I prefer smokey. I tried the chopped pork sandwich with slaw, french fries and hush puppies that are shaped like onion rings along with sweet tea… the best thing were the hush puppies. Reasonable prices.