City Barbeque — Restaurant in Raleigh

I visited the restaurant because it was spirit night at my child's school and they were offering to contribute. I was entirely unpleased by my experience. I was in line for 25 minutes and then it took an additional half an hour or more to get our food. Dinner for our family of four, two adults into elementary age children cost a little over $60. I'm going to give credit where it's due. The staff that was working acknowledged that they were overwhelmed with the number of orders both in person and take out. They also acknowledged that they had no clue about the spirit night and it was causing them to become backed up with food orders. All the employees that were customer facing, did an outstanding job from the person at the register, to the person working the cars outside, to the person cleaning up and the dining room all of those team members were excellent. Where I am going to squarely target my criticism is with management, and the kitchen staff. Management had the ability to forecast the extra demand; either they failed, or they forgot. This caused the kitchen to cook in panic mode and food quality suffered. When food is under prepared and the kitchen is running for their lives at the very least it should be coming out hot. This was not the case. The ribs that were served to me were clearly reheated (and poorly at that) ribs from the day prior. They lacked ANY moisture and were slightly desiccated. Sometimes restaurants will hold back food from the day before for reuse to avoid wasting it. They ran out of macaroni and cheese. For a barbecue establishment in the south I think running out of macaroni and cheese At the start of dinner service is kind of ridiculous. The french fries were excellent. Macaroni and cheese was given to us when our food was ready for pickup. We were not charged for it. It was tasty and I appreciated the service recovery because we ordered it we were denied it but then it came anyway so I think that's fair. This restaurant clearly needs some kind of pager system so that patrons know when their food is ready for pickup. Guests we're lining up all over the inside (with little regard for social distancing) waiting for somebody to yell their name to collect their food. If you are a guest seated outside I doubt you would hear your name.

All factors considered, I really didn't like my experience. I think there's room for lots of improvement. I may try this restaurant again sometime in the future after giving them some time to get things straightened out. I was REALLY turned off by the...

To say City BBQ exceeds expectations is an understatement. It transcends them, like a perfectly tailored suit from Savile Row, or a vintage Bordeaux that only gets better with age. The More Cowbell? An absolute masterpiece. It's as if the culinary gods themselves decided to bless the earth with a creation so perfectly balanced, so indulgent, that I can’t even recall what life was like before its existence. The mixture of beef, cheese, vegetable, and bread is like a gift with every bite.

The brisket is melt-in-your-mouth tender, the smoky flavor a tantalizing embrace that lingers just long enough to remind you of its brilliance without overstaying its welcome. The okra is the perfect accompaniment. It’s crunchy yet juicy, sweet yet savory, elevating the sandwich to an echelon only few can even dream of. If heaven exists, it tastes like the More Cowbell. And those sauces? Divine. A sharp, tangy bite that cuts through the richness like a perfectly executed stock buy.

As for the service, it's... exquisite. JoJo, the manager, is nothing short of a revelation. A man of wit, charm, dad jokes, and an innate understanding of what true customer service is. His humor is not forced, but an effortless part of the atmosphere, leaving a lasting impression on everyone who enters. He manages the place with a grace that borders on art, giving patrons a sense of belonging, as though they’re part of something bigger than just a meal. He's a beacon of professionalism and warmth in a world that sorely lacks both.

Frankly, JoJo could teach a master class on how to run a restaurant—and still have time for a few laughs with...

If I could leave more than 5 stars, I would. We’ve never had anything but a great experience with this restaurant, but tonight they seriously went above and beyond. We were out in Wilmington for our anniversary, decided we wanted to grab City BBQ on our way home, and ended up getting really behind on the drive. I called to ask if they could leave our food outside for us since we were going to get there after they closed. The manager told us “absolutely” and was so nice about it, despite us totally being an inconvenience. When we got there, he had kept it inside and met us out on the curb when we pulled up, despite us getting there 20min after they closed. He was so kind, telling us it was no problem at all. When we got home we noticed there was peach cobbler in the bag (I had commented on the order that the website wasn’t letting us use our reward for it being our anniversary), and there were also hush puppies that must have been extra when they closed. It was such an unexpected surprise, especially after us being an issue by getting there so late, that we both kind of just sat there in amazement. It might not seem like a huge deal but we just moved down here by ourselves, and then with it being our anniversary, it was just SUCH a nice gesture that we didn’t expect at all and seriously beyond appreciate. I haven’t gotten this kind of customer service anywhere else. I would recommend them to absolutely anyone, and will definitely be going there any time we decide to eat out. Thank you guys, SO MUCH, for helping to make tonight so great. And whichever manager was on tonight, please pass along...