Black’s Barbecue

Never disappointing, always great food, consistent and very nice people. Sliced BBQ or hotdogs all the way… curbside service… always stop here when I’m in town.

I walked in really wanting to like this place, but their BBQ was just not doing it for me. I came here on a week night and based upon what I’d heard from some locals, I expected Black’s to serve up some good BBQ. Also, Black’s is in a rough part of town, in a small shack and had an old Sun Drop brand menu on the wall. All of these things led me to believe that I was about to have a great meal.
At Black’s you order up front and they bring your food out to you at one of the few booths that they have. The man taking my order was very friendly and recommended the sliced BBQ sandwich. I ordered a small one of those along with a hot dog all the way with their slaw. Both of these items plus a sweet tea only cost me $ 7, so I was excited about that.
I note two things here. Black’s only takes cash. This shouldn’t be an issue considering there is an ATM inside the restaurant. Also, they are open for dinner on week days and stay open until 9:00. The hours were not listed on Unilocal and I had to call to check on this.
My food came out very quickly and I jumped right into chowing down because I was very hungry. The first thing that I noticed about the BBQ sandwich was that it was just kind of smooshed together. It seriously looked like someone had taken the palm of their hand and just put all of their weight on top of the sandwich. After prying it open I found that their was not a lot of the sliced pork on their and the slaw was orange?
Very odd but I put the top of the bun back on and tried a bite. The meat was kind of tasteless. It was luke warm and had no smokey flavor at all. Also, it was kind of dry. The «slaw» was unlike anything that I had tried before. It was kind of tangy and tasted like it might have had some thousand island mixed in. As for the hot dog, it was a little better. Honestly, the whole dog was overshadowed by the strong tangy taste of the «slaw.» I could see this «slaw» being good on a burger, but it does not belong on a hot dog and it definitely does not belong on BBQ. The tea also was not sweet enough and was not what you would expect from a NC BBQ joint.
If I came back to this establishment, I would completely skip over the BBQ and probably heed the advice of some fellow Unilocalers and get the burger. I only give this place 3 stars because I appreciate the character and history of the place and the fact that it is run by a local family. The service was honestly the best thing about Black’s. BBQ is disappointing.

Best BBQ’s. Their slaw is also the best. You can buy the slaw and put on turkey sandwich.

Ok, Luke warm pressed BBQ. Nothing to write home about. I’ve tried it a hand full of times, since it’s close to the house. And apparently it’s anti-​female. I’ve never seen a female worker. Not one!

BBQ and the South.
Goes together like eggs and bacon or cheese and burgers.
Everyone has their opinion about whats’ good, better or best.
My bro-​in-​law has been going to Blacks for years, for years he says and it’s the best, yes much better than RO’s.
OK, he might be right, it’s all opinion, right?
Blacks is good, you also get bbq slaw but on the side.
I still think RO’s is better.
But what do I know?

Absolutely love this place! The BBQ sandwich is delicious and is topped with their cole slaw then pressed on a griddle. The result is crispy bun surrounding perfectly cooked BBQ and tangy slaw.
If you aren’t in the mood for BBQ, their BLT is the best in town.

Great restaurant, AMAZING FOOD, the ribs were off the hook. I really recommend the minced barbecue sandwich — it was the best I’ve ever had.

Terrible barbecue. Unseasoned sliced pork with a sloppy topping that’s less like a slaw and more like a bland pepper cream sauce, served on a nearly flattened fried bun. Just about as far from Carolina BBQ as you can get and still claim to have it on the menu.

Love it!
I live in DC, but my new family is down in Gastonia and they turned me on to Blacks and the slaw BBQ. Yum!
I try to get some every time I visit Gastonia.

If you’re from Gastonia, it’s either Black’s or RO’s for you in the local BBQ department. Depending on what you grew up with, you choose one or the other & very rarely switch allegiances & grab a bite to eat from the crosstown rival.
I for one am a Black’s person, & have only ventured to RO’s a couple times in my life. While RO’s has some great, great, great slaw (that they sell in local grocery stores) Black’s is just better to me. The weird thing is that both of these places are owned by the same family so there’s kind of a family feud if you will.
OK, on to the food. This may sound really strange, since Black’s is a BBQ restaurant, but I never order the BBQ. I just can’t get enough of their burgers. They’re the double whammy… cheap & good. Yeah I know it’s odd that I don’t even get the BBQ at a place where it’s the specialty, but I save my BBQ eating to other locales. This is nothing against theirs, as it is pretty tasty the times I’ve had it, but I just prefer their burgers.
The place isn’t that large, but you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a seat. They also have curb service at your car so that’s another option as well.
Black’s is a great family owned restaurant, with good BBQ but great burgers. Heck, if you’re skeptical on what to get just order both. The burgers are great as take out items to be reheated later. You won’t go wrong here with any of their options.