Gary's Bar-B-Cue — Restaurant in Kannapolis

I don't think the staff at Gary's would disagree that they serve barbecue and cookout style food for any type of clientele, but the atmosphere is awesome. Although we went during the busy lunch hour, you seat yourself and we were able to find a table in their huge dining area. They have three or four different rooms with dining tables, and all of the rooms are decorated with classic signs from different eras of the 1900s. It took me a while to look at the menu because I was too busy checking out all the awesome signage on the walls. It's like Cracker Barrel on steroids. To go along with the signs that provide a vintage look, they also have a room with old 1940's & 50's convertibles on display.

The food at Gary's is simple. It's good, old-fashioned barbecue served on paper plates with plastic utensils. While it may be lacking in presentation, there is nothing lacking in flavor. I ordered a barbecue sandwich with a side of coleslaw, and we shared an order of hushpuppies. The barbecue on the sandwich is served without sauce because they have different bottles of sauce available on the table. I topped mine with the "Sweet & Smoky" sauce and thought it tasted great. And I thought the coleslaw was excellent! It was chopped very fine and tasted very sweet, just the way I like it. I put a generous amount of coleslaw on my sandwich and also used it to dip my hushpuppies in. The hushpuppies didn't have much flavor but tasted better when mixed in with the slaw. I tried my dad's order of brunswick stew and was very impressed with that as well.

The service at Gary's was very friendly and efficient. Our waitress was the classic, sweet southern woman who called us all "sweetie" and "honey." After placing our order, it probably took her no longer than 3 or 4 minutes before she returned with our food. Tasty food that is reasonably priced and served by friendly staff is a great combination in a restaurant. Throw in the great atmosphere and you can understand why Gary's has become a landmark. So, if you're looking for an authentic North Carolina barbecue experience while traveling along I-85, stop in and give...

This is a tale of two BBQ joints in one Day: Gary's BBQ for lunch (this review), and Dixie Pig in Tega Cay, just over the border in SC for dinner (adjacent review if you click my name or picture). I accidentally discovered this place 5-6 years ago while taking a back road to I-85; and I'm glad I stopped back in on the way to Atlanta.

First off, what you see in the other 4-star & 5-star reviews about the Americana atmosphere, wonderful service, free Cheerwine refills, including to go, and Gary are all true! Unlike many roadside BBQ's in the South, this one is also spotlessly clean, and well lit. And Yes, although I was a repeat visitor from years ago, they served me a delicious banana pudding for dessert (and I generally don'y like banana pudding).

I had the large pulled pork sandwich, and the savory sauce was good; and certainly Much Better than Dixie Pig.

The overall experience was quite good; and I fully intend to make this a "destination" whenever I pass by. However, as you can see from my other reviews, I'm also a tough critic, not afraid to throw a 1-star when justified. I almost gave them a 5-star rating, but I'm docking a star for the following reasons (which Gary can fix):

They only have two BBQ sauces, and it is served in a tiny plastic cup. They need a variety of sauces; and they need to put them in squeeze bottles, as you see in most all rib joints. Since I was moving to Atlanta, I had a few bottles of various sauces buried in a box in my trunk, and I was tempted to take a few minutes to dig one out. Most joints have at least four varieties, and

Since Barbeque Is Messy, and the napkins are small and thin; not what you normally get at a BBQ joint.

Finally, this is 2018: At least accept debit cards, which have no merchant fees. The ATM in the lobby is, honestly, a bit off-putting;

I sure hope Gary & his wonderful crew fixes these issues, so the next time I swing by so I can re-rate...

Killer Q! I remember accidentally visiting this place as a kid, and have always wanted to go back. While visiting S&S Graham Archery down the road, they recommended this place. I pulled up and instantly knew I'd like to eat in a little dive like this. I almost stopped at the other BBQ place in town, but it looked kitschy and there were almost no cars there. The parking lot was packed at Gary's.

Color me surprised when I walked in and saw a VERY nice, clean, and well-lit establishment. I seated myself (even though it was crowded on a weeknight) and ordered the pulled pork. It took all of 2 minutes for the waitress to return with my Sweet Tea and huge plate of BBQ. It takes HOURS to cook barbecue, so really, all they should have to do is dump some on a plate, right? Then why do some places take so long to scoop up some Q? All I can figure is they are reheating it.

At first I thought the meat pile was a little small, but had quickly eaten my fill. Everything was seasoned properly, and required no additional sauce (though the vinegar and ketchup based sauces were excellent). I also had the red ketchup and vinegar based slaw, which was also very good.

In short, I'm not going to drive over an hour to get here regularly, but will make it a point to stop by any time I'm...