Review Of Hobgood's Family BBQ, Hillsborough, N.C., by Bill Walker

{Hobgood's has apparently closed for good as of December 2004 . . . there is an office building now where they used to be . . . thanks to Chris Davis for this information}

Review Of
Hobgood's Family BBQ
636 North Churton St.
Hillsborough, N.C. 27278
919-732-7447
by
Bill Walker Š2000

A recent Saturday's lunch at Hobgood's BBQ was an unexpected pleasure. On two previous occasions, I had ordered barbecue in the late afternoon only to be very disappointed. On both occasions the BBQ was dried out and unappetizing. It looked like it had been sitting under a warming lamp all afternoon. I did manage to get some good BBQ the first weekend after Hurricane Fran. They had cooked the barbecue on trailer cookers in the parking lot and served it freshly chopped with slaw and pork and beans. A most welcome treat during those trying times.

This time I arrived around 1:00 p.m., and the restaurant was crowded. The hushpuppies were pretty good, perhaps just a touch dry in the original batter. The texture was not quite perfect. The slaw was a pleasant surprise. Finely chopped with a hint of carrots, it had either been well-drained with a slotted spoon or, miracle of eastern style miracles, they had not overdone the mayonnaise. It wasn't too sweet either.

The barbecue was moist, properly cooked and not chopped too fine. Finer than Lexington-style but coarse by Eastern-style standards. Using Dennis Roger's famous fork test, the barbecue was a little too greasy by my standards but not floating in grease like Allen & Sons BBQ. The grease was apparent only from pressing down firmly with the fork. There were some scattered eatable bits of crisper outer meat but no sign of excessive amounts of pork skin.

The barbecue sauce had an unusual taste. It reminded me of Heinz 57 steak sauce with vinegar added. The bottle on the table showed no sign of tomato products, just a suspension of spices, pepper seeds and a general brownish liquid. Not a favorite sauce. It was only moderately hot.

I ordered the barbecue tray, two paper trays with BBQ and slaw separately served in a regular restaurant plate. Interesting. Patrons at a nearby table ordered sliced barbecue. These were thinly sliced but of extraordinarily large size...two or three times the size of most restaurant's sliced BBQ but much thinner. There are usually eight or ten side dishes available for choice with BBQ plates ( two choices ) or as extras. Boiled red potatoes, green beans, steamed vegetable medley, corn, etc., are typical.

My past experience as well as other reports from my BBQ acolytes indicate that quality can widely vary from day to day. My advice is to arrive at the peak of lunch or dinner time to hedge your chances.

If historic old houses are your interest, drive or better walk the several blocks of the Historic District of Hillsborough, roughly one block east and two blocks west of Churton Street which runs from I-85 to Bypass 70.

I will give Hobgood's Family BBQ 2 & 1/2 or 3 pigs.

William Thomas Walker

Please click on the following Yahoo!Maps button to go to a printable map showing where Hobgood's Family BBQ is, thank you!

{Back To BBQ Page} {To Personal Page} {Feedback}