Sauceman’s

Great barbecue with a great summer atmosphere!
Went with a friend and got the Pitmaster Experience (serves 2) with the Pork, Brisket, and Chicken plus Mac-​n-​cheese and Deep-​fried Corn. The service to order was a little slow to start, but no fear, our food was on the table within a minute of sitting down.
I’ll start with the chicken because it was the best part of the plate — the no-​doubt best BBQ Chicken in Charlotte. For this plate it was served as a half-​chicken with sauce already spread on. I usually quit on bone-​in chicken but this was so good that I picked at it until it was gone. The chicken was not dry at all which I tend to find as a problem with BBQ chicken. The sauce was a mix of smoky with blackened and was awesome. Highly recommend.
Next step, a personal BBQ favorite, is the brisket. It was also top-​class, tender and smoky with a perfectly blackened exterior. It was a tad too fatty but not enough to take it off the table as a top selection. If you’re choosing a location solely on brisket I would still place Midwood Smokehouse at the top of the list but Sauceman’s is a close second.
Finally, the pork was a disappointing. For me, pork is the standard dish of NC BBQ and making sure it’s good is your ticket into the game. The flavor was good and had a standard smoky flavor but it was dry and a tad chewy. If you go with the pork, use the smoky sauce to add some moisture.
The sides had good flavor and I would recommend either of the two we had. They are definitely sized to be sides and won’t fill you up much but add a good new touch of flavor to the meal.

*door stop delivery* The food was good and quality, just took a LONG time to get. 2hours. They didn’t get my order correct. I got onion rings instead of the corn (I was excited to try) and paid extra for.

Wow! Why haven’t I tried this place sooner!!! I’ve been in Charlotte for two years now and I finally gave this place a try and I was overly pleased!!! Omg the pulled pork was amazing and I’m usually a vinegar based bbq sauce type person but it was hard to choose so I mixed it with both. The brisket was so tender and juicy and flavorful and the bbq chicken?!! OMG OUT OF THIS WORLD GOOD! the Mac&cheese was just ok but the red coleslaw was Awesome as well. I loved everything. Midwood smokehouse has definitely got some competition that’s for darn sure. Heck I think they may just have topped midwood. The service was great the guy gave me a free drink because he liked my nails. So I guess it pays to keep it pretty anyways you have to try this place I mean like seriously. Even though it was $ 27 I don’t even care it was damn sure worth it

One of the best BBQ spots in Charlotte. I went to Saucemans for ribs and was not disappointed. The sauce was smoky and the rib meat was tender. I ordered the collard greens as a side which were made just right with a little kick.
The restaurant is small with a hometown feel. Seating available inside and outside. The food came out fast and the service is friendly.

Ok. I admit. First time here must have been a mulligan for them bc today the chopped pork sandwich was perfect. Now I can’t wait to go back. Fresh cut fries and great sauce delivered fast to my table is just what I needed to get through hump day. ;) Get there by 11:20 or you will wait in line!

We ordered 2 Tailgate Specials for a Sunday Panthers game day get together, more than enough food for 11 people. The pork has a nice smoke flavor, the sides were all good. I would definitely recommend this place. You can check out what comes with the tailgate special in the menu– everybody really enjoyed it and it makes having folks over pretty easy.

Bbq is pretty good, sauce is good, fried green tomatoes are excellent, the sweet biscuits are delicious, the Mac and cheese is just okay. The one complaint I have is portion size for some of the menu items based on the price — especially for take-​out. I paid $ 3 for a mediocre side of Mac and cheese that came in a container about the size of a shot glass– really? I would go here more often if I felt like I would always get my money’s worth, not just sometimes.

I grew up in Salisbury, and when I was a kid, we would pass through Lexington regularly on the way to my doctor appointments at Baptist Hospital. So Lexington barbecue is my gold standard, and I haven’t been disappointed by Sauceman’s. It’s the only place I have found in Charlotte where the barbecue tastes like what I got growing up. My boyfriend got the sweet potato fries once, and they were decent but a little mushy. But that chopped barbecue, OMG. And the red slaw.

Food is fantastic. I highly recommend. Falls apart in your mouth. So good. Friendly service.

I. Love. Sauceman’s. Being a northern transplant in Charlotte, I’ve only recently become a fan of BBQ. And let me tell you… this is my favorite in Charlotte (so far). If I could eat this every day I would, but I would also be about 400 lbs.
Meat is tender. Fries are great. Hush puppies are amazing. They have a variety of sauces to choose from — and I recommend their white sauce that they don’t have out on the table, you need to ask for it!
I only wish they had later dinner hours during the week!

The pitmaster is very talented and knows what he’s doing. The next time you’re in and around Charlotte you need to stop by… Goooood barbecue.

Talk about dumb luck. We ran across this place while my son was playing a show at Amos’s Southend. Just a few blocks past Amos’s. I had the BBQ sandwich, chopped and hush puppies. The BBQ was really good, the sauces they have on the table allow you a couple of different choices, I didn’t ask if they had anything different in the back. Those hush puppies are worth the trip. Crispy outside, soft and tasty on the inside. Wife had chicken salad and it was great too. Chicken had just the right amount of sauce for her.
Parking is not bad but not good either. It’s Charlotte, parking is bad everywhere.LOL. It’s on the corner at the red light so be prepared or you will go by it. They had a fire going outside but it was raining or we would have sat there.
If you are around this area of Charlotte, check this place out if you are a BBQ fan.

Sauceman… as in ‘sauce’ is their superpower. First off, best collard greens I’ve ever had… no joke. They are the perfect combo in between spicy and sweet. The mac and cheese is out of control, so if you are eating with friends be sure and get a couple of sides.
I was also able to try the turkey, brisket, and sausage… admittedly I felt the meat paled in comparison sides and sauces, but keep in mind those two set the bar pretty damn high.
My plate also came with a few hush puppies, which were sweet and therefore I devoured for them last as my dessert. The end.

I’m a bit of a BBQ snob, I’ll admit. Having a long-​term relationship with Memphis has done that to me. But I love trying BBQ in other cities, and Sauceman’s did not disappoint. The chopped pork plate came with a huge mound of pork, hush puppies, slaw and a side. It was tough to choose, but I went with the fried green tomatoes. And it was a great choice. Can’t wait to come back and try the fried corn, Mac & cheese, among others!

Why have I waited so long to try this place? Reminds me of my lack of intelligence. Simply put — everything is excellent! Smoked pork, fried corn-​on-​the-​cob (whaaaat?!), spice cold slaw and collards with a kick!
Take it from a foodie — don’t pass this place like I did, and have to come after I’ve already moved to Charleston!

Honestly, very disappointing.
I came in expecting comparable food to Midwood Smokehouse and Mac’s, both of which I love, and I was sorely disappointed.
Food: The BBQ was dry to the point that it didn’t really taste good. The sauces were hit or miss but slightly less palatable than the Mac’s /​Midwood selections. The sides were awful, the fried green tomato and the mac and cheese were incredibly bland. Honestly I might as well have been eating celery! Absolutely no taste. The saving grace of the food (the reason for the 2 stars) was that the red slaw was very tasty, and this is coming from someone that usually hates slaw all together. The beer selection was also pretty good considering their small size.
Ambiance: The service wasn’t ‘slow’ or ‘bad’ but the place was a bit of a wreck. They only had one person running the register, bussing tables and running food. Obviously this lead to no tables being available because they were filthy and hadn’t been cleared! Not cool to severely understaff your restaurant. We had to clear our own table that was covered in sauces, food etc. from the previous patrons.
Go to Mac’s or Midwood Smokehouse instead. IMO. We definitely will not be back.

I would give the food a 2 but the customer service from the manager a big fat zero. We received a $ 200 Foodie Call gift card at our baby shower and decided to start ordering from places that we have been meaning to try but haven’t quite made it to yet. Sauceman’s was on that list.
First, the food. We ordered the the Dixie’s Cuban and the Sauceman’s Original, both with pork. We found neither sandwich anything to write home about but to be fair, I think we both found that we prefer a sandwich with just good BBQ and maybe coleslaw. Not the best BBQ I’ve had but not the worst. (My Dixie Cuban only had one friend pickle on it. ONE.) Our sides were mac and cheese and fried green tomatoes. The mac and cheese has a weird after taste, not a fan but the fried green tomatoes were yummy. Salty, but I prefer them that way. The meals were also supposed to come with slaw and we selected the white and the red however this was left out of our order. We also ordered hushpuppies and fried pickles, both pretty good. (ok, we went overboard with the fried stuff this order, buy hey, i had been eating healthy for the previous 9 months and needed to splurge.)
Then the service. I called to just let them know that we did not receive any coleslaw and about the stinginess of the pickles on the sandwich. I wasn’t going to be sending the Foodie Call driver back over some cole slaw, after all, we had ordered PLENTY of food, it was just strictly principal. The manager says, «I double checked this order myself and there was coleslaw and there were pickles on the sandwich.» Seriously? I guess my foodie call driver snacked on our food before he delivered it.
All in all, Sauceman’s left a bad taste in my mouth. Food and service, or lack thereof.

Here’s the big question. Sauceman’s or Midwood.
Oh that could prompt an endless debate. So here’s my take:
Sauceman’s feels more casual and relaxed. Almost like eating at a pit stop. This is where I’d bring a friend who just likes eating BBQ. Whereas Midwood is the more pretentious, hipster-​esque BBQ joint. This is where I’d bring a friend who I’d like to impress with a cool BBQ spot and share a few local beers.
Sauceman’s is BBQ plain and simple. The red slaw is a perfect digestive to the heaping amount of pulled pork you’d be served. The hush puppies balances out the BBQ tray by offering you something mealy savor. Whereas Midwood is BBQ on a creative slant. Burgers and tacos … that’s beyond the simplified offerings from the pit. Bacon-​wrapped jalapeño is delicious but … that’s just fixin’s dolled up.
In a pure side-​to-​side comparison of solely the pulled pork (ignoring every other meat and side), I’d give the edge to Sauceman’s. Even when absolutely stuffed, I just couldn’t put down the fork. I just kept eating and eating. Again, the red slaw helps tremendously.
Final Verdict — It’s good. Pretty much on par with Midwood so it’ll depend on where you are and who you’re dining with.
BBQ Hop 2015 #4 [March 2015]

A mixed bag for sure at this barbecue landmark. We were greeted immediately upon entering, and invited to take a seat for table service if we were dining in, which we were. I went with the pulled pork and rib combo, and opted for their baked beans and red slaw as sides. The pulled pork was very good, and ended up being the best part of the meal. I like the rough chop, which was moist with a nice bit of bark, and had a good smoke flavor. I wasn’t quite so impressed with the vinegar sauce, which lacked flavor and did little to enhance the meat. I am a fan of the red slaw, which is a sweet and sour North Carolina specialty.
The ribs were a big disappointment, with not much going on except for an overly sweet sauce. They were tough and surprisingly bad, given the quality of the pulled pork. I also didn’t much like the baked beans. So, some things to like here and some to avoid, which doesn’t add up to barbecue greatness.

I can’t explain how a once great bbq joint has slid so low so quickly. They have plenty of trophy’s and awards on display, but what they didn’t have when I visited was a great meal to offer. I picked my Wife up at work, and wanted to celebrate our 25^th Anniversary with a nice lunch. Fortunately she picked Sauceman’s, not me.
The first warning sign was that they were out of most of the fountain drinks. There was a hand written sign that said to get a can from the cooler. Except the cooler was out of diet sodas. When I asked, the woman behind the counter suggested I drink water. That was strike 1.
We received our meals quickly, but before the server could walk away, I asked her if what I received was the $ 9 pork plate. The portion of hush puppies outweighed the pork on my plate. She said «yes, they weigh the pork», then walked away. Wow! That was strike 2.
My Wife ordered the brisket sandwich, her usual menu choice. At first glance, all looked good. There was so much brisket that she had to take some out of her sandwich so she could fit it in her mouth. Before she took a bite, I looked at the meat on her plate, and showed her how dry it was. When I posted the picture one of my fellow Unilocalers commented that it looked like jerky, not brisket. Strike 3.
I don’t know what happened to them, hopefully they can turn things around again. If it was just some dry brisket, I could forgive them. But between the issues with the soda, and the terribly small portions, it looks to me like this could be the beginning of the end for Sauceman’s.