Mike D's BBQ Smokehouse & Retail — Restaurant in Durham

Mike D’s BBQ: Worth Every Mile and Bite!

⭐️ Caution: Mike D’s BBQ might just put you in a food coma. ❤️❤️😂😂

After following Mike D’s on Instagram and seeing his delicious posts, I was determined to finally get my hands on some BBQ during my latest trip to Durham. I'm from Fayetteville and often make the trip to visit family. Yesterday (9/26/2024), after visiting my uncle in the hospital, my son suggested BBQ. Naturally, I checked if Mike D's was open.

The moment we walked in, the aroma hit us—it was BBQ heaven. The hospitality was top-notch, with the staff being incredibly patient with my family. We were all a bit worn out, but their kindness made us feel right at home.

The Food: When our trays arrived at the table, everyone’s eyes widened. You know the saying about your eyes being bigger than your stomach? That was us, and we didn’t regret it. Here's the lineup: brisket, leg quarter, ribs, smoked corn, potato salad, beans, a shredded pork sandwich, and mac and cheese.

Brisket: Can we take a moment to appreciate this masterpiece? It was incredibly flavorful and tender—20/10. True BBQ doesn’t need sauce, and this brisket proved it. Ribs: Juicy, tender, and cooked to perfection. Another 20/10. Leg Quarter: Absolutely delicious, with flavor packed in every bite. 20/10 again. Sides: The potato salad, beans, and mac and cheese were tasty and well-seasoned—10/10. But the smoked corn? It was a standout—sweet, smoky, and irresistible. I could’ve eaten a whole plate of it! 20/10. For dessert, I devoured the banana pudding cake on the drive back to Fayetteville. My mom even got extra food for the construction crew working on her house and a plate for my uncle in the hospital. Everyone raved about it.

And yes, I did go back for seconds when I got home late that night. We’re enjoying the leftovers today, and I’m already planning my next visit.

Apologies for the lack of photos—my family couldn't wait to dig in! Mike D’s BBQ, you’ve got some loyal fans. We’ll...

Strongly recommended! We've got a fun group of 5-6 guys, that for several years, has been getting together almost monthly to rotate through all the BBQ places in the Triangle. We visited this past Wednesday night, and all 100% agreed that this is a GEM that should be visited and supported! The pork was Extremely tender (a very moist rendition, that we all loved), relatively mild spicing, but good smoky flavor - and the optional side sauce was the kind I personally Love (reminds me of the side sauce at Woodland's in Blowing Rock, which sadly closed a year or two ago). The brisket was sensational. Portions were outrageously big - was the first time any of us took food home - and all raved to each other about our next-day sandwich creations. I can't fathom the negative review I just saw from a couple weeks ago, but maybe something happened that day. Restaurant business is terribly hard work and unforgiving, personal tastes vary, etc, so could be a number of things. Total opposite of our 5 opinions.

Beans were Super good - very well seasoned, not too sweet, with green peppers and I presume onions, and not sure what else. Very well done and different from your typical BBQ beans which often, at other places, just have the same flavor profile as the meat. Slaw was good too (and great on that sandwich the next day, made with the leftovers).

Please support them. Unique, cool place and great addition to the BBQ scene and not cookie-cutter or chain BBQ (though those have their place and can...

Tasty. The atmosphere was cheerful and everyone was welcoming. I believe that the man himself dropped by the table which I just loved.

The flavor of the ribs was terrific but I felt that they were just a bit too dry for my taste especially the ends. I'm not even deducting any stars. Very tasty and it gave me an excuse to enjoy both delicious sauces in abundance.

There's a fun sauce that seems plain when you first taste it but then the flavor evolves into a smoky and succulent and then to a honey like sweetness. But not too sweet, mercifully.

I also enjoyed (quite a bit more than the sweet), a tangy sauce with just enough kick for entertainment and zest without overwhelming a similar spiced profile but without the sweet finish.

The mac and cheese was well cooked but I thought could do with some more flavor - not bad but not great. I'm sure that the dish stands alone very well but you have to really work hard to keep up with the rest of this plate. Shame.

Next time i'm skipping the mac n cheese and doubling up on the smoked beans... to smuggle home. Those beans are absolutely wonderful. That is a dish prepared with passion for sure. This is as close to vegetarian chili as you can legally get without needing to label it as such. A+.

Come for the ribs; skip the mac; stay for the beans.

I didn't have dessert on this visit because I had a fozzie bear cake to enjoy...