Saturday, November 13, 2004

Recommended - Hursey's, Burlington

Hursey's is all over the place in the Burlington area. They make the barbecue at the main central restaurant on US 70 in town (a visit reviewed below) and at a wholesale place north of town on NC 87. They ship the barbecue to various outlets they own ( a visit to one reviewed below) and to noncompany restaurants.

Main restaurant on US 70
Address: 1834 S Church St, Burlington, NC Map
Restaurant: Table Service

Good sliced pork. Outstanding slaw and baked beans.Their signature apple turnover is a good value, but the crust lacks character. I was in a bookstore in Burlington just before lunch and browsed through Bob Garner’s Guide to North Carolina Barbecue, which had three barbecue joints in Burlington. I tried Hursey's because it was convenient. On the table was a ad for the book, which you could buy at the restaurant. I recommend the book for the serious barbecue fan.

Hursey's Bar-B-Q: Dairy Castle
Address: 880 Highway 87 N, Gibsonville, NC Map
Restaurant: Steamtable

This is a little brick building just south of the main bulk retail and wholesale outlets for Hursey's. It is counter service with a fast food feel. The barbecue plate comes with hushpuppies, slaw and french fries, but I just had the tray, which has no french fries. The minced pork is excellent, especially for delivered barbecue. The sides were good.

Hursey's Bar-B-Q: Graham
Address: 1234 N Main Street, Graham NC Map

The other main Hursey's restaurant is a large barn-shaped building on NC 87 south of town. It is at least twice as large as the main Burlington restaurant and the parking is better.

When I ordered a sliced tray, which comes with hushpuppies and slaw, with a side of baked beans. The waitress upgraded it to a plate, substituting for french fries (which I do not like with barbecue any). The pork was a little blander than at the other main restaurant, but the sides were great.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hursey's is the worst BBQ anywhere near Burlington. If you want BBQ that has water or juice running all over the plate, be my guest. The sauce is uninspired. The fried chicken and french fries frequently taste like they were fried in old oil. I see no redeeming value in this bbq. Better to go to Hueys on Church St. or to Smithfield's at Exit 153.

savannah said...

yeah go to huey's..oh wait, they don't exist anymore!

if hursey's chicken is fried in old oil, it probably wouldn't win awards
if the bbq was so bad, it probably wouldn't win awards, and they probably wouldn't cater, or have returning celebrity customers.

Anonymous said...

If you want the best BBQ in town go to BBQ and Ribs Co. right up the road from Hursey's on Hwy 87 in Graham. They smoke their BBQ in the restaurant every night. They don't transport their BBQ to other locations..that's not considered "fresh" to me. BBQ and Ribs has an amazing choice of sides that are all made in the restaurant as well as homemade banana pudding and peach cobbler.
They are hands down the best in the area!

Anonymous said...

I grew up in the area and remember getting sick off of Hueys BBQ, I personally LOVE HURSEYS!

And They are catering my wedding!

Anonymous said...

Don't ever get the chicken unless you get it right in the middle of lunch or the middle of dinner. Otherwise you will get some chicken thats been sitting and is hard as a rock. You have to almost take your chances with their chicken. If its freshly cooked it is so good. But you never know when you will get fresh fried chicken. If you call and place your order to get fresh fried chicken they still give you the chicken thats been sitting there. I guess they don't want to lose money not selling that chicken thats been sitting there. But they are going to lose it anyway because once you taste that chicken thats been sitting under those lights you don't want any more of Hursey's fried chicken. And on top of that they will lie to the end that what you ordered and came to pick up is freshly fried as if people can't tell freshly fried chicken from chicken thats been sitting a long while. All I can say is if you buy it you will be taking your chances.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, I live in Burlington and live 2 blocks from Hursey's. Worst BBQ in Burlington. Sorry, I agreed that water or juice runs across the plate every time I get it. I think the meat is probably alright, but once it starts to get chopped and the sauce is added, it is uninspired. Burlington, unfortunately, is not the place to stop for BBQ. Try Gardners or Skylight Inn or Wilbur's for good eastern style BBQ.

Anonymous said...

Saw the hursey's billboard on I85. I never had Carolina bbq before. Decided to stop and try some....It was a mistake. My friend and I were the first customers of the day, they unlocked the door for us. We ordered a couple of sandwiches each to travel with. they asked if we wanted slaw on them and didn't ask anything else. We told them yes to the slaw. Needless to say, the meat was dry and kind of tasted old, no bbq sauce or anything! Lucky we asked for the slaw....or I wouldn't had been able to swallow it. I really was disappointed!

Anonymous said...

I had lunch at Hursey's in Burlington last week. The place is clean and the service is very good.
The hush puppies were excellent. The chopped BBQ sandwich was just so so. The meat had no smoke flavor, or much of any flavor, but was gristle free. The sauce is nothing to write home about. Maybe it was just not a good day. I'd rate it about a 3 on a scale of 1 to 5.

Anonymous said...

To all of those who are suggesting other restaurants, most of the ones you suggested are closed now because of their terrible disgusting flavor lacking food. BBQ & Ribs Co? Everyone hated that place and they shut down. For those who say that their BBQ is watery are absolutely crazy, my family has been eating Hursey's for 20 years and it is the best in Alamance County, hands down. Their broasted chicken is absolutely amazing and makes KFC and Bojangles look like breaded excrement. I have eaten it hundreds of times and have never tasted anything like what you people say (but if you go to any of these other places, bad oil, terrible service, expensive food,etc). As for the sauce, I am not a fan, but since when do they put it on the chopped BBQ? You guys are retarded, because they don't, you have to add it yourself and their BBQ is so damn flavorful it doesn't need anything. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that Hursey's is the best and they say it the best so I'm gonna leave this last part to them: "A genuinely substantiated fact is that Hursey's Pig Pickin' Bar-B-Q took top honors in the North Carolina and South Carolina Bar-B-Q Cook Off held in Washington, D.C., several years ago. The winner was declared by a panel of distinguished judges to have the best tasting Bar-B-Que in the Carolinas! Charles has gained national recognition for his famous Roasted Chicken by winning the National Golden Chicken Award. He has also sold Bar-B-Q to customers in all 50 states and several countries. Hursey's has had the honor to serve 4 U.S. Presidents, several N.C. Governors, Senators, famous athletes and celebrities." So, if they suck so bad, why are they the only BBQ place w/ multiple locations to serve their THOUSANDS of customers who eat there every day? Do all of these people like shoving bland food into their hungry, waiting mouths? No, you guys are just used to disgusting BBQ which you have deluded yourselves into believing is good when it is simply over-priced, disgusting, filth. I bid you good day.

Alice Redman said...

I live in Texas now. Herseys BBq is the best in the all of the states I have traveled. When I would visit NC I would buy 20 lbs and pack in ice or put it in my suit case when flying home. Who in the world would want to eat dry BBQ????? Just let the juices run down your arm and say "Man this good BBQ". Alice Redman