10/17/09

What Has Happened With This Place?

by beboboy9

What has happened to this place?? After reading the rave reviews, we ventured the 34 mile drive looking forward to a great quaint BBQ joint at the Hillsborough Road spot. We tried to get there early fearing a Sat. evening big crowd at supper and when we arrived at 4:30 we knew we had beat the crowds. Since we were the only ones seated, service was immediate with a snack basket of hush puppies to munch on while the food was being prepared. Opps, did I say munch? The hush puppies were clearly ones left over from an earlier batch that were nuked for 10-15 seconds and brought out to us. They were barely warm, tough, and chewy....not hot, crisp and steamy when you bite into them. Great BBQ joints always serve up crisp, hot, melt in your mouth hush puppies but these were horrible. About two minutes later the food came out. While the portions are generous, the Que as well was barely warm. No sound from the kitchen at all of any Que being chopped fresh at anytime. Luke warm Que tends to be greasy and lump together since the fats aren't hot enuff to be solvent to make the meat flavorful and moist. My wife and I just looked at each other feeling sorry for this place and the potential that it is missing. It is a small typical old timey Que joint that if some attention to serving up hot fresh food were given could be the place of my dreams. My wife thought the BBQ beans to be very good and I liked the slaw and the iced tea was great. But in the world of memorable Que, luke warm chewy hush puppies and lumpy luke warm BBQ is an insult to anyone making the effort to make a special trip to this place. Don't waste your time. Maybe though try lunch when they are busy and fix fresh hush puppies and chop fresh Que for the crowd....if they have crowds. So sad, it really is.

• Pros: Very Fast Service, Great Iced Tea
• Cons: Food Mildly Warm, No One Asked If It Was OK

07/31/09

Good Food & Friends

by himalayan

This is good stuff!! Try the BBQ or ribs ... and the hush puppies are very light. I've had breakfast (great value), lunch (great taste), and dinner (friendly atmosphere) ... any time of day it's good home cooked food.

• Pros: BBQ & made to feel like one of the family
• Cons: seating capacity

06/16/09

Is it going downhill

by Bill570

Went their for a 5:00 dinner last Thursday. BBQ sandwich was cooler than room temp. Fries were cool to the touch. Had to have been sitting out for over an hour to get that cold. Not busy at all, employees just didn't care apparently. I heard it wasn't as good as it used to be. I hope my experience was an exception. Don't want to lose a local place like this.

• Pros: Hole in the Wall
• Cons: Cold Food

08/19/08

Great Carolina Barbecue

by njbbqlvr

My wife and I went to Ole Time this past Saturday night for some authentic Carolina barbecue and man did we leave happy (and full)! We don't get down south often enough and wanted to be sure to find authentic Carolina barbecue on this trip. We read about Ole TIme but none of the reviews did this place justice. From the minute you walk in you know you're in for some good barbecue. The waitress was real nice and helped my wife order but I knew exactly what I wanted....ribs! Neither one of us was disappointed! From the hush puppies they put on the table when you arrive to the perfecty barbecued ribs and amazing sweet potato sticks everything was excellent. Don't forget the barbecue sauce! We even picked up a few of the "Red Neck Chopsticks" on our way out. The place was great, the food was outstanding and the staff is friendly and always willing to tell a story or two about the place. If you want authentic Carolina barbecue don't walk.....RUN......to Ole Time!

• Pros: Food, Ambience and Friendly Service
• Cons: Was too full to eat anymore

08/06/08

NOT WHAT I EXPECTED

by Caribbeanluck81

After reading the reviews on citysearch, my friend and I thought we were in store for some awesome barbecue!! When we got there and looked at the place, it had that "hole in the wall" barbecue restaurant feel that only the best barbecue restaurants have. I started to salivate, and I thought for sure we were in for a comfort food extravaganza! The waitress that served us acted as if she didn't even want us there. As if we had walked into a party that we weren't invited to. Then I asked her which entree had the most barbecue and she told me she couldn't tell me. I went with the barbecue plate, and she never even told me that it comes in a large or a small!!! I was starving, and she brought me the small barbecue plate. So the service was horrible... however... I thought... well.... at least, maybe, the food will be good... right? wrong! The barbecue was dry! And the pork had hard edges, and it looked and tasted like it had came from meat that either wasn't that fresh, or wasn't from a good pig... if that makes any sense. It just wasn't that great. And the portion size was pathetic! Also, the sweet tea was watered down. A good glass of sweet tea is essential to barbecue, or any southern food. I don't like to write bad reviews for any business, because I know how hard it is to run a good business... but.... the prices were so high, and the service was so crappy... that I feel cheated.

• Pros: the inside of the restaurant is decorated really cool
• Cons: The waitress that works there wears a "dirty d*cks" shirt... why doesn't she wear an ole time barbecue shirt?

07/11/08

The BOMB!

by punkrockfeminist

Ole Time is such a ROCKIN place!!!! I Love the fresh Veggie Plates and Hushpuppies - yum, yum! They are friendly people and I would recommend them to anyone :)

• Pros: Has Vegetarian Options
• Cons: NONE

02/11/08

Best Brisket & Smoked Chicken in Raleigh area

by blylmy1

I've lived in Raleigh area for several years now and love brisket when it is cooked right. Most of the BBQ restaurants in the area do not offer it or they overcook it. At Hawgwild, it is so tender and juicy that it melts in your mouth. The only problem I have is that I can't make myself stop eating it! I have eaten at Hawgwild over ten times since they've opened and, obviously, love their brisket, but I have yet to find anything on the menu that I don't like. Also, if you are a smoked chicken fan their's is the best I've had, period.

Their tagline is 'Come see what we're smokin'... I'm not sure what they're smokin' but it is some good stuff!!!

• Pros: Best BBQ, Service, Cool atmosphere
• Cons: So good that you may over eat

10/03/07

Best barbecue, mashed potatoes, banana pudding....EXCELLENT customer service

by jusandjak3

There is something special about this place. It just plain gives you the sense that life is good. The people are so friendly and welcoming, it's like visiting family. They go out of their way to please everybody, which is not hard when every menu item is indescribably delicious. If you have been there before, you are probably there now. If you have not been there before, finish reading this and go now. Trust me, y'all be back.

• Pros: Great food and service

09/14/07

Best NC BBQ Period

by ronhallmark

I live in western NC where the BBQ sauce is tomato based. I like it but I will always go out of my way to stop and enjoy Ole Time BBQ when I am in Raleigh area. It is the best pork BBQ I have ever eaten. It is not a large place so stop by when crowds are less but Its worth the wait otherwise.

• Pros: Best BBQ in state
• Cons: small restaurant

08/30/07

OWNER GOOD GUY

by randyperry

I HAVE KNOWN THE OWNER JERRY HART FOR YEARS. HE IS A VERY CARING AND LOVING PERSON. WHEN IT COMES TO CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY JERRY IS FIRST IN LINE. YES ONE OF HIS TRADITIONS IS JOKINGLY THROWING PEOPLE OUT THAT TIE UP A TABLE TOO LONG, BUT I THINK IT IS GREAT ESPECIALLY IF I AM THE ONE WAITING FOR THE TABLE. OLE TIME IS A LITE AND FUN ATMOSPHERE AND THE BEST FOOD AROUND!

• Pros: GOOD FOOD AND FUN
• Cons: PARKING A LITTLE TIGHT