The Original Q Shack

Reviews

• Jeffrey B.

  star star star star star 11 October 2026

  My wife and my father and I stopped in the Q Shack for lunch recently. We are in the Durham area for a family vacation, and had just gotten into town. We started looking for a local place to try, and settled on the Q Shack.
  
  The staff was friendly, and we each ordered a different entree. I had the sliced brisket with baked beans, my wife the smoked turkey and potato salad, and my father the ribs and coleslaw. As we commonly do, we sampled each others dishes. The turkey was fantastic, and the brisket was incredibly tender. The ribs were very good as well. The baked beans had some sort of chili seasoning in them that, while not bad, gave them a unique and somewhat strange flavor. The potato salad was a little bland, but for those that prefer more mayonnaise in there potato salad it is great. The coleslaw was crisp without being overly vinegared.
  
  Overall it was a great experience. If I had any complaint it was with the sauces. There were only two: one that was theoretically a sweet sauce and other that was a pepper sauce. While I couldn't detect heat in the first one (just a vinegar twang), my wife was certain there was sulfuric acid in it. The pepper sauce reminded me of a homemade Tabasco, which isn't bad really, but there needs to be more variety, a simply sweet sauce for those of us with a more delicate palette, and they need to be appropriately labeled in my opinion.
  
  If you are in the neighborhood and you like spicy barbecue I highly recommend the Q Shack. If you prefer something sweeter or cooler, then I might pass.

• Victoria S.

  star star star star star_border 7 October 2026

  I had Q Shack cater an event that I planned for approximately 40 people, and they made it really easy! For a small fee they delivered to the event location, and then set up all the food along with serving utensils, plates, cups, and even ice for the drinks. I ordered "Option A," so it included chopped pork BBQ and three sides, plus sweet tea, hush puppies, and Texas toast. For the sides I ordered mac and cheese, bbq beans, cole slaw, and I added on the side salad. I knew there would be vegetarians at the event, so I specifically picked the sides that were vegetarian.
  
  I was concerned about running out of food, but I had way more than enough! They sent two trays of the pork and side salad (everything else was just one) and we didn't touch the second tray for either. Based on the leftovers, I'd say the mac and cheese and the coleslaw were the most popular sides. The only thing that wasn't really touched was the Texas toast.
  
  They were able to accommodate the catering order on just a few days notice. If you want delivery though it's helpful to do it in advance since they only have one van and times may be limited on short notice.

• Constantine S.

  star star star star_border star_border 27 September 2026

  This is what most would expect out of an established bbq joint. Decor is tackles with a cardboard six pack holder of condiments on the table with a roll of paper towels.
  
  The menu was above the window and written in chalk like one might find on a roadside stop. It was a bit hard to figure out, at first. Give it a minute, it will make sense.
  
  I asked the friendly guy behind the window what I should have between the pork butt and the brisket. He suggested the brisket, so I ordered the sandwich sliced with a side of greens and an extra side of fries . It comes with curl shaped hush puppies.
  
  The brisket was basically good. There wasn't a traditional smoke ring that one almost expects. The meat was cooked nicely so they're was still a good amount of juice. It was served, oddly, in Texas toast (might be crossing BBQ lines there).
  
  The collard greens were definitely the highlight; however there was almost a soup left in the paper serving boat when they were finished. The fries were seasoned nicely and they did give a human sized portion. The hush puppies were interesting as if someone grew up on Arthur Treacher's, you're used to the round ones. I appreciated the different shape as it made them less awkward to eat.

• Kong L.

  star star star star_border star_border 17 September 2026

  I pass by "The Original Q Shack" all the time and finally had a chance to stop in. I've always thought it was a fancy dine-in bbq joint but it's more of a cafeteria line type place. It was busy enough to wait in line for 5-minutes. I felt like the prices were a bit high for BBQ. I went with the two meat plate which was about $14-15. It came with two sides. I chose...
  
  Ribs: A bit dry and over smoked for my taste. It didn't have a bite to it. It was more like fall off the bone. A bit salty but the sweet BBQ sauce balanced it out.
  
  Pulled Pork: A enjoyed the texture but a bit too wet. It looks like BBQ sauce was mixed into the pork which caused it to be watery.
  
  Potato Salad: The first few bites were good. It was too heavy on the mayonnaise. I couldn't finish it.
  
  Mac-n-Cheese: Nothing special here, just noodles with cheese.
  
  Overall, not the best BBQ that I've had in the area or elsewhere. The best part to the experience was the seating outside. I thought it was really nice and spacious.

• Natalia S.

  star star star star star_border 16 September 2026

  Q Shack is delicious and down home goodness. Located right outside downtown Durham, Q Shack offers be best of NC, Texas and St. Louis BBQ at awesome cost and in a comfortable atmosphere. We tackled 3 meats (turkey,
  Ribs and brisket) and each was awesome in its own right. The green beans were flavorful and not oily or greasy and the coleslaw was clearly freshly made. Lots of beer options too. The only challenge is parking, which is not their fault, but can be difficult at the time of dinner. Happy they're a yummy part of durham!