Cole's Bar-B-Q — Restaurant in Live Oak

I really wanted to like this place. I live right around the corner, so I’ve been here a couple times. The first time I was here was terrible and somebody told me I went on the wrong day, so I gave it another go on “the right day.”

It didn’t matter. Coles treats perfectly good meat like they are trying to ruin its reputation. I’m not a bleeding heart by any stretch, but I feel sorry for the animals that become this bbq.

If this was the only experience of meat I had ever had, it would be so easy to go vegetarian. And I’m not blaming it on the employees. They were all great. But this is not how barbecue works anywhere. That’s not what a barbecue pit looks like or how it works. This is someone’s cook out gone wildly wrong and somehow pro. I’m baffled.

The tri-tip tasted like it had been microwaved after having been cooked on charcoal too fast with no seasoning. Barbecue sauce doesn’t cover sins here.

The ribs were poorly trimmed, tough as hell and had no flavor other than the disgustingly sweet sauce. Smoke ring? Hahaha nope.

The “pitmaster” was just throwing meat fresh out of the bag directly on the open fire. No seasoning. Yikes.

The garlic fries were just simply over cooked french fries with garlic powder sprinkled on them.

A lot of people seem to love this place and it just goes to show that there is literally no accounting for taste. If this isn’t the worst barbecue I’ve ever had, is second place and I have thankfully blocked out whatever first place was. Probably somewhere in eastern North Carolina. shudder

Go to Mission Street or Aptos or NuBo if they ever start...

Went here for the first time. I thought it was going to be fantastic food beings you can see the guy bbqing it there but that's not the case. I got a tri tip sandwich and it was horrible. The meat tasted hella old. It seems they put a lot of bbq sauce on it to mask the taste cuz it sucked. I've made tri tip and mine tastes way better. You can tell it definitely is not marinated or nothing. It didn't taste like seasoning at all. The meat tasted like it was old and left out. I threw it away it was not good at all. I know someone else who had been here before too and he didn't like it either. I wouldn't tell anyone to go here. It was a big disappointment 😥. Not worth the $77.00 for real. They must be sending the fresh bbq elsewhere because they sure weren't using it fresh there. I think they even microwave it before they put it in the sandwich because it did not taste anything like bbq. Almost like hot lunch meat. Yuck. Don't waste your money here. Better off going to the wharf for fresh chowder . Will...

Horrible Customer Service. Last time I went, I had ordered the 3 piece combo to share with friends. They came out with two of the items and we asked if the third item was coming out. They said that it was. So we started eating. We finished the two items, then realized the last item had not arrived. So I went inside to ask where the last item was. They told me that I didn't order the 3 piece. I ordered the two piece. BUT I had paid for the 3 piece. The cahier then talks to someone in the back and a young woman comes out and asks us what the problem. I told them that we didn't get out last item. She then accused us that we were lying and that we didn't order the 3 piece but my wallet said otherwise. I then asked to be refunded but they refused. I would have been happy with getting out last item. We finally got them to refund us the difference but we left the place still hungry. The place is terrible. I have not been there since. I'm sure we've all had good and bad experiences there....