Hardison's Carolina Barbecue & Restaurant

This place was recommended by the front desk at the holiday inn in Plymouth. It's about a 7 mile drive away, but I promise you the food is legit amazing. They are not open on the weekends and they close at 6pm. We were very lucky strolling in around 4ish since our activities had been tentative. Upon entry I observed a clean spacious dining area which extends to another back private room. We walked up to the counter to order and was greeted by the kindest employees. To the left side of me stood a bear statue. The days special was written on a sign near the register which included BBQ chicken. However, I was craving some meat and pork. I didn't catch the lady's name that took our order, but she was soo nice. We ended up getting the pulled pork plate with hush puppies and homemade potato salad. Then I added a double cheeseburger with fries, while the hubs ordered banana pudding, and strawberry cheesecake for dessert. They also offered a small side of chili for him to taste since he inquired about some. We walked to the back and found a table. Within ten minutes one of the employees brought our food. I didn't catch her name, but the service here is great! She was sweet and was on top of the refills of sweet tea and water. Talk about southern hospitality very warm and welcoming! It's a shock for me especially, since my environment growing up on the east coast was a bit harsher lolThe double cheeseburger was juicy, meaty, and in this case there was less bread to meat ratio that I salute. The sharp onion and crunchy lettuce were nice compliments, but the star was that meat! Fries were thin, crispy, and not soggy:) Pulled pork was tender, and since we were in North Carolina the Bbq style is thin sauce with vinegar and spices. The hush puppies reminded me of those elongated pennies that are pressed in tourist locations lol The cornmeal was savory and deep fried perfectly. They have executed perfection for everything homemade! The potato salad had a little bit of relish mixed in with the mayo. It gave a tang which I enjoyed. Coleslaw was different than any I've ever had and eaten. It look like it was cut into little square cubes and had more of a creamy texture with no carrots that I'm used to. That was mind boggling for me, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. As for the banana pudding and strawberry cheesecake oh my gosh it was sooooooooo good!!! We would definitely come back!! Support Local!!!

Every time, great eats. Great price. Going to or from the OBX easily found on highway 64. Oh, yeah, their soda pop is in bottles:)

The BBQ here isn't the best I've ever had, but it was close enough considering how cheap it is. $5 for a BBQ sandwich, fries, and a drink is a damn good deal! Plus the place is clean, and it's huge so there will always be seating available. The only downside is they have weird hours, most of the time when I'm in this area it's on a weekend and they don't seem to be open on weekends. Considering that they are right along a major highway, they should reconsider their schedule.

Always good. Nicest folks work here. One time I stopped by with no cash and they gave me food. Next time there I paid them back. Awesome

This is a great stop off of Highway 64! This family processed pigs for a long time and their customers used to ask them to throw a sandwich together while they were there picking up their hogs. Eventually the family decided to have a restaurant and Eastern North Carolina is now blessed to have another quality BBQ spot to feast on. The stew was all meat and veggies. Their tomato base was very light unlike most stews. It's pulled meat not minced like others. Packed with flavor you must try their stew. The bbq sando was also good. Slaw came on it and I also threw their proprietary sauce with it & some Texas Hot Pete. That kicked the sando into another gear. Definitely stop into this establishment and eat. Your mouth will thank you. Till next time...

Hardison's is where you will get good Eastern North Carolina Barbecue and great daily specials at an almost unbelievable price. The home-cooked special is different each day, Tuesday through Friday. My favourite is the Ribs on Wednesday. Local or passing by, stop in. This is a very friendly place to stop. Hamburgers and Hot Dogs are available plus the best French Fries since the Little Man closed.

The only thing keeping this place from one star is that the people were very nice. Otherwise, we found this place to be terrible.I should have known something was up when we pulled up to a barbecue place and didn't smell smoke. The meat was either slow-cooked or roasted, but I find it impossible to believe it was smoked. It was rather dry and flavorless, giving no indication of ever having been inside a smoker of any sort. We had to absolutely cover the meat with their sauce just to make it edible.The sides were also less than inspiring. Cornbread that was more like baked polenta, the yams were covered in sugar, the green beans were more salt than green bean, and the coleslaw and potato salad were just okay.Barbecue purists should give this place a wide berth.

Super friendly workers, great taste pulled pork, and nice interior. Prices are more reasonable than other fast food restaurants nearby. Although they don't accept credit cards there is ATM in the restaurant.

Friendly service and good bbq! We'll definitely be back to try the fried chicken!Pulled Pork Plate with sides was yummy

We've been enjoying the hamburger steak special for quite a while. Being gone for about a month, we were surprised to see it was not the the Tuesday special. What other specials have been changed? What we had was delicious but not what we drove from Creswell to enjoy.