Review Bill Spoon's Barbecue - Charlotte

A Charlotte staple that has been around for years and remains unchanged. They do traditional eastern NC BBQ and they do it well. For those that don't know eastern NC BBQ is usually whole hog and chopped with a vinegar sauce finish. It's not pulled pork with a bunch of different sauces to try. Staff is super friendly and it's a family run business. The pork is always consistent and a great representation of eastern NC BBQ. Hush puppies are some of the best I have ever had. Brunswick stew is on point. I had the ribs this time and my wife had the small BBQ platter. Ribs were par for the course. I have had better but the texture was great on them. They don't fall off the bone because real ribs are not supposed to. They come clean off the bone when you bite into them which is what you want.

I'm between 4 and 5 stars here. I went here for lunch 6 years ago and wasn't all that impressed. At the time, I didn't like vinegar based bbq sauces that much and that was all they had. I now love vinegar based bbq sauces and saw there was a Groupon so I decided to give it another chance. I loved it this time around. The vinegar sauce was very good, but it does have a kick to it. I'm not a fan of spicy food though, so take that with a grain of salt. They also have a non-vinegar sauce now which was pretty good too. They give you baskets of hush puppies which is always the sign of a good bbq place. We got the chopped pork plate and the half rack of ribs. The chopped pork was great (although I do like pulled better), but I didn't really like the ribs. They were ok, but I ended up not eating most of them to save room for dessert. I don't think they're worth the price since the chopped pork was better and cheaper. We got sides of bbq potatoes, coleslaw, mac and cheese, and baked beans. The bbq potatoes were interesting and pretty good. The coleslaw was good, pretty standard slaw. The mac and cheese was definitely the star of the sides and was great with the baked beans. The banana pudding for dessert was amazing. It was a small portion, perfect for one person after a big meal (or to share if you're full). I'll definitely be coming back for lunch! It's a really good traditional bbq place which is hard to find in Charlotte.

Love Bill Spoon's BBQ. This is a Charlotte institution with great food and the best prices for what you get.

Food was good and so was the service. Food came out fast. Waitress was awesome and she was waiting on about 20 people by herself.

I stopped in today and was a little skeptical at first to be honest. I stepped inside and didn't see anyone that looked like me...to be politically correct. I was pleasantly surprised by the friendly, smiling and welcoming staff. Prior to placing my order, a staff member walked by and all I noticed was the mac and cheese which looked delicious. Whenever I see collard greens on the menu I hesitate because not everyone can make good seasoned greens. Well folks, this place does! I purchased 3 meals to go, that means 3 different opinions. All of us were so happy we chose to try this place. Don't go with the expectation that the food will taste like yours, but they darn sure come pretty close. If you want a friendly, welcoming atmosphere and great food to match definitely try Bill Spoon's BBQ. I'm already planning to go back next week! Thank you for the great experience!

Great southern BBQ, possibly the best in Charlotte. I have tried almost every BBQ place within the greater Charlotte area and though others may come very close, Bill Spoon's has the best tasting and quality of pulled BBQ, especially for the money. There are others that make a mean brisket and great other types of BBQ, but I haven't yet found others that make a better pulled pork BBQ. The flavor is delicious, whether or not you decide to put any sauce on it, which is one of the major unique differentiators. Then the BBQ sauce choices are all delicious, all depending upon whether you prefer a vinager based sauce or something else. The sides are also delicious and the BBQ potatoes is a unique offering for this location that others really seem to love (I'm not a huge fan of baked potatoes). The Mac and cheese, coleslaw and other sides are very delicious as well and if you order the family meal, they come with very healthy portions, enough to feed 4-5 grown men and still have leftovers. Overall, the quality and the price of Bill Spoon's BBQ is superior to others I've had in Charlotte and I will definitely be going back soon!

First time eating at this establishment. This is a no-frills restaurant with great food, nice staff, and very reasonable prices. I grew up in the Lexington area, and we used to swear by the BBQ there. I can honestly say that Spoons BBQ is among the best BBQ I have had anywhere. Brings back memories of a time when making BBQ was a craft, not just a job. Thank you

Barbecue pork was delicious and just as advertised: eastern North Carolina style. Hush puppies were excellent and hot. Slaw had a little too much mustard. Service was very good, deserving a 25% tip. Remember, Tipping is not a city in China.

This place is fantastic! The prices are a little steep, but totally understandable and worth it. The vinegar sauce is perfect, it's got a little spicy kick to it. My only regret is that I've lived in Charlotte for 24 years and I haven't been here sooner. Also the hours make it tough to get there Monday - Wednesday.

I visited this restaurant for the first time when visiting Charlotte. The BBQ is what I would describe as South Carolina low country BBQ. The pulled pork has a slight vinegar taste and their Cole slaw is mustard based. The French fries were fresh and hot and I loved the taste of the tea. Our waitress was attentive and the restaurant was clean as was the bathroom. It's a 1940's style building as if it came from a time machine. Parking is free. The only problem was I almost missed eating there because they close by 3 PM. With Charlotte 's long and heavy rush hour traffic I can understand why people would stay home and not go out in the evening after experiencing the traffic congestion first hand.

I don’t want to go into too much detail about the pork (good), hushpuppies (great), or other sides (average), as I really don’t have anything to add to our previous review. So instead, I’ll focus on the ribs. This were big, meaty spare ribs smoked with the membrane on (boo) and served with just a bit of glaze. These ribs were the epitome of “fall off the bone ribs”, which, unfortunately is not a good thing.

Solid Eastern Style BBQ, But Overpriced. Finally made it here, well I made it to Bill Spoon's BBQ - I ate in this building light years ago when it was Bubba's (of course, before it was Bubba's, it was Spoon's Barbecue - a certain symmetry exists even in the world of cooked pig.). Signs says "We've cooked the whole pig since 1963", and if that is a collective "We", then that is true.<br/><br/>They serve pretty solid Eastern NC barbecue here - they cook the whole pig till it is tender and juicy, moderately chop it & include some outside pieces, and lightly sauce it as served. What arrives at the table is fairly mild barbecue, and several large dashes of their sauce helps pick up the heat pace - this is a nice Eastern NC sauce.<br/><br/>The slaw is also very Eastern - mustard based with a little attitude, and goes great with the pork, and the BBQ Chicken, as well. The BBQ Chicken is nice and tender, but it is very mild, and benefits a great deal from a nice amount of salt, and some additional sauce, house or commercial hot sauce. The Combo Plate of BBQ Chicken, 7 ounces of Chopped BBQ, and 2 sides goes for $14.75, not exactly cheap eats here. Chopped Sandwich is $5. The Hush Puppies here are very, very good.<br/><br/>The Chili Dog here is not one I'd order again - the chili lacks any kick, the onions go on last (just wrong), and at $2.50 this is an expensive wiener. The side of Onion Rings was actually nice - these are obviously frozen, but they were well fried, not over breaded, and had some good onion flavor. The FF were thin and crispy - nice. The Brunswick Stew ($4 for a small bowl) was simply awful - too thick and mushy (you cannot identify a single separate vegetable), and was very dark with a burnt, bitter taste. Your soda comes in a 12 ounce can, and there are no refills - cost is $2.<br/><br/>The service was quick, efficient, and friendly. They check on you several times during the meal. This is not destination barbecue in my opinion, but it is pretty good, especially for the Charlotte area. This is not a cheap place to eat barbecue, especially at the lunch meal. A BBQ Chicken/Pork Combo Plate with 2 sides, a small Brunswick Stew, a Chili Dog, an order of FF, and 2 Diet Cokes came to $27.10 before tax or tip. Too expensive for the combined quality and quantity.

If you do not like Bills Spoon's, you do not know NC BBQ. Best eastern Style BBQ in Charlotte.

Yum!. I love this place. Best staff and BBQ in town IF you like vinegar based. The mustard slaw is good too. If you like sweet BBQ this is not a place for you. The sweet tea is awesome.

You call this BBQ. This is the worst BBQ restaurant that I have ever eaten. To be honest, I can make better food than this.<br/>Please do not bother.<br/>If you like to know what a good BBQ should taste like, try "Jim & Nick"

Bill Stoon's BBQ. I have liived in eastern NC all of my life. And I have had my fare share of BBQ pork and chicken. I think that Bill has come up with the right combination. It is some of the best old style BBQ That I have had in years. The fish is good also.Thanks . jp

Must Love Vinegar. The pork BBQ was good, no doubt. However, you MUST have acquired a taste for Eastern NC BBQ, which is HEAVY in a VINEGAR sauce. I personally love the traditional sweet-style Southern BBQ. Now this is good pork-flavored BBQ. But I could only eat just so much of the vinegar. The portions were surprisingly small, as the sides were good but smaller than most BBQ joints. Overall, not bad. But there is MUCH better out there. If you love Eastern NC BBQ, you'll probably like this place much more than I did.

Bill Spoon's Barbecue. Too pricey; portions skimpy except for oversupply of bitter hushpuppies; meat was dry and much too shredded and extremely heavy on salt; slaw was floating in vile mustard; french fries were in tiny slivers and were very overcooked. <br/><br/>Second worst barbecue meal in the Carolinas (And I know them all) barely superior to Bubbas on I-77 North.

Good...but. Good barbeque should not have to be expensive. a regular meal at BSB will run you between $10-$15. A little pricy for what it is.

The reviews here are perplexing. If you want pork barbecue in south Charlotte, this is the best spot. If you want fancy decor or lots of menu choices go somewhere else. This is no nonsense great que...

Best barbeque in charlotte period. Not only is it the que that makes this spot great its the sauce, their sauce is great its a perfect definition of atrue eastern bbq sauce .. its also the hushpuppies bannana pudding and the sweet tea that keep me comming back.

Overated. Being a returning native, I was anxious to get some good ole Carolina BBQ. I had remembered that Bill Spoon's was a great place. I went there twice and was disappointed both times. It was very bland and not what I expected or up to par with good BBQ places around the Carolinas. I will not go back unless I am stranded on South Boulevard and all other restaurants have closed down.

Not great. Did not enjoy my experience.<br/><br/>First off, the restaurant has a weird smell to it. It doesn't appear to have central air and instead has window units. I don't know if they keep their dumpster on the other side of the windows, but it's not pleasant.<br/><br/>The "Lunch Special" was $8.75 and consisted of a small tri-sectional plate of very minced pork and two miniature sides. No drink included. The pork was very dry and had little flavor. They also don't put any BBQ sauce on the table, just a jar of vinegar and one of tabasco. If you do get a soda, you get a single can, no refills.<br/><br/>To top if all off, they don't accept credit/debit cards. What is this, 1975? Get with the times Bill!

Good, honest BBQ.. I'll definitely be returning.

Still my favorite. Outside of Lexington, this is my favorite BBQ joint. I bring a lot of out of town frineds here for luncuh, none have been disapointed. Great food, great poritons, great price. Fastest service in Charlotte.

In terms of Charlotte, Bill Spoon’s Barbecue is pretty much the closest thing we have to a well-respected, old school barbecue joint. Since 1963, first Bill Spoon himself and now his grandson Steve Jr. has been cooking whole hog, eastern-style NC barbecue on South Blvd. Which in itself is a bit odd considering Charlotte is much closer to Lexington than it is to the eastern part of the state. Nevertheless, despite having lived in Charlotte since 2005 and being well aware of this place, this past weekend was my first visit to Bill Spoon’s

The star of this plate is the pork. It was chopped very fine, but the texture was not mushy at all.