Barely Acceptable - Mr Barbecue and Stuff, Mall Food Courts

Out Christmas shopping, I stopped at the Mr Barbecue in the food court. I hadn't eaten at one in ages.

I ordered a small BBQ plate, which came with hushpuppies (two!) and two sides. The sides are in a steam table and didn't look too great. I had boiled potatoes and deep-fried vegatable sticks, which I had had a long time ago and they were pretty good then.

The barbecue was not as bad as it could be. It had a little spicy kick and some body to it. The sides were bleah. The hushpuppies were solid. The potatoes were edible. The veggie sticks were not as good as I remembered.

Next time, I'll hit one of the better, non-BBQ, places at the food court.

Update: The Mr Barbecue has disappeared from Northgate Mall in Durham.

Acceptable - Country Barbecue, Greensboro

Address - 4012 West Wendover Ave., Greensboro, NC 27514 Map
Style - Sit-down restaurant

Country Barbecue is another down-home no-frills barbecue places. It is on a busy city highway just west of a whole strip of auto dealers. As I parked, I saw a couple loading up their car with a cooler and bags of carryout. This seemed promising.

Inside, the restaurant is low key. The waitress service is good, as is the tea. Instead of a bill, the waitress leaves a slip of paper with your order coded on it to take to the register.

The regular sliced pork tray came with cole slaw and hushpuppies. The slaw was a little too sharp for my taste. The hushpuppies were a little doughy, as if they hadn't been fried in hot enough grease. The pork was bland, almost flavorless. I added some of the table barbecue sauce, which seemed a little watery, so there would be enough flavor to finish the meat.

Country Barbecue is another Lexington-style barbecue place. I have yet to find one that really stands out. Stamey's is much better for Greensboro barbecue.