Carolina Brewery

I haven't posted in a long time, largely because I haven't eaten 'que in a long time. The reason for that can be stated succinctly: school. Jennifer and I are less than two months from graduation, and our master's papers are due on April 12. So, between that and looking for a job, I've been pretty busy!

Tonight, however, the 'que drought ended. Jennifer, Lars, and I went to the Carolina Brewery, conveniently located on West Franklin St. I've been there before, but long before the 'Que Quest was underway. Jennifer and Lars hadn't had barbeque at the Brewery either, so since we are pressed for time these days and can't afford to drive far for our 'que fixes, we figured it was high time to review this place.


My good friend Susanna got me this shirt as a present. Thanks, Sue!

I ordered the 'que sandwich, mostly because I didn't want the Brunswick stew that came with the plate. As you can see, my sandwich was large, and it came on a kaiser roll as promised. Now, normally I'm fine with a kaiser roll, but this time it just didn't seem to suit the sandwich. It's an interesting thing about 'que sandwiches...they're popular and common, but I've heard a lot of grumbling about the bread they come on. Kaiser rolls are not the traditional choice; instead, it's usually some kind of very soft roll. I didn't think I loved how those went with 'que, but I realize now that they are a better match than the kaiser.

Anyway, along with a generous portion of meat, my sandwich came with a large slathering of slaw, which was unfortunately rather too mayo-ey to be legitimate Eastern NC slaw. A small cup of sweet, tomato-ey sauce came on the side. The sauce contained a lot of onions, and was definitely more tomato-ey than barbequey. Not smoky in flavor.

Instead of hushpuppies, which came with the 'que plate, I had a large portion of thin French fries. These were, in fact, probably the best part of the meal--very tasty. As for the sandwich, I discarded the bread to focus on the meat, which was passable, but not easy to appreciate because of the slaw. All in all, I'd say that despite what someone told me (can't remember who), Carolina Brewery is not the best place to eat 'que in Chapel Hill. On the other hand, for burgers, fries, and beer--and to watch the game, if that's your thing--it's a good option.

My rating:

Bonus: A friend and I went to the Duke Gardens a couple of weekends ago to usher in the spring. I took a few photos I'd like to share--I know they're not 'que-related, but they're pretty!



--Sarah