Bj’s Carolina Cafe

Ms T and I pass by BJ’s on our way to and from the Outer Banks when we drive out. We had a chance to stop in for lunch after some furniture shopping up the road. We were late and were the only ones there, so received great, friendly attention.
I was tempted by the beautiful burger that our server was getting ready to have for her lunch break. We stopped in on Thursday which is build-​your-​own day for burgers. We just wanted to sample the barbecue since High Cotton was closed for the season. We will have to go back for the burger.
The barbecue is more of a medium coarse pull than the typical Eastern NC chop. I did not find it as tender as I expect and it was without much smoke or good pork flavor. I’m not sure it was fresh on the day we were there. They do make a very good Eastern vinegar sauce and I bought a bottle. The sauce really saved the sandwich that I had. Ms T had the same comments on the barbecue and put their sweet sauce on hers. They served us excellent slaw in the creamy style with good sweet and sour balance. We did not care for the very mustardy potato salad with chopped sweet pickle. It had too much mustard and the cinnamon from the sweet pickles is out of place. The texture of the potato salad was liked grainy mashed potatoes with cubes of undercooked potato mixed in.
So bottom line, the pork was OK, not great. We liked the slaw and did not like the potato salad. When we stay at the Outer Banks, we probably would not drive past High Cotton to get here, but if we went to Weeping Radish, I could see giving them another try either to see if the barbecue can get better or to have one of those burgers.

Can’t believe this place gets good reviews… They must have great BBQ if people are giving good reviews because the breakfast certainly wasn’t worthy of a good review…
We stopped for breakfast on our way home from OBX. Biscuits were hard and dry, coffee weak and watery, omelets were more cheese than egg, and the corn beef hash was tasteless. Potatoes had good flavor but were soaked in oil. We definitely won’t be going back. Only positive about this place was convenience of the location.

Good food, reasonable, not fancy.
In baseball terms, our first visit here was a solid double (extra star awarded due to the scarcity of decent food on this stretch of road). We’ve driven by here many times, probably, but this time I used Unilocal to plan our stops ahead of time on our 8ish hour drive home from the Outer Banks. Not a lot of good options between Kitty Hawk and Hampton.
BJ’s doesn’t make a big statement outside or inside, but the service was friendly and the food was good for the price. Our lunching group tried the hand-​breaded chicken tenders, French dip, Philly cheese steak, crab cake, and veggie wrap. Everyone enjoyed it. Fries especially good.
Downside: Mac & cheese side was okay but Cheez-​Whizzy. Iced tea was weak. Veggie wrap was heavy on the balsamic. When we arrived at noon on Saturday, there was a breakfast buffet still up that looked a bit sad.
Overall, a good value for tasty sandwiches, served quickly and with a smile. When you’re stuck on the road, that’s saying a lot.

Great food! Nice staff and good prices, corn bread, cole slaw and fries to die for! A new family tradition when we leave the outer banks.

Cute place stopped for breakfast I our way out, staff was nice but sadly the service was slow, coffee was weak food was mediocre maybe an off day

This was a nice stop on the way home from a week at obx. Meal was good, desserts were a disappointment.

Man what a place to eat. Being from the north you can’t find BBQ like this. I don’t usually eat cornbread but here it is amazing! The service was wonderful, very friendly ladies.

Good food. Great service. Food came out fast and hot! Everything had great flavors and the cost was very reasonable. Staff was super friendly and helpful. Can’t wait to return!

Amazing Breakfast. I travel the world this was one of the best I ever had. French toast. Amazing scrambled eggs, country ham and bacon. All great ingredients. Highly recommend. Worth stopping.

2^nd bbq in as many nights. This was slightly better than our previous experience with another Corolla based BBQ. «Southern» pulled pork appears to not have BBQ sauce on it already like we’re used to up north. The chicken was spicy and juicy, the sauce was pretty good too. We had this pool side at the place we were staying at so not exposed to the full experience but the food was better.

By far the best barebecue! Melt in your mouth ribs. The award winning barbecue sauce is you. The cornbread and. french fries are sensational.

Yesterday was my first time at BJ’s, and I have to say I was impressed. The hostess who greeted us was incredibly sweet and she also waited on us during our visit. We were starving after our day at the aquarium and were on our way back, so we just ordered our drinks and then our entrees. It wasn’t very busy and we were the only people on our side of the restaurant, which was very nice as the service was incredibly fast. The lunch menu had a great selection, and this place’s prices were astounding. I had a shrimp basket, which came with two sides (I chose potato salad and fries) and cornbread and was only $ 9.99. It was delicious! The shrimp tasted fresh and it was lightly breaded, which is how I like it. The sides were also wonderful. For dessert, we had a blueberry cobbler (only $ 1!) and it was OK, although I’m not really a fan of blueberries and this wasn’t actually what we ordered – we ordered the banana pudding but didn’t have the heart to send it back. BJ’s is a modest eatery with quick, friendly services and a homey ambiance. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who likes good food and even better prices.

The staff is friendly.. The cornbread is the best! The food is home cooked and tastes great. Its like eating dinner at Grandmas.

If you are on your way to or from OBX, this is the perfect place to stop for breakfast or lunch. My whole family went for breakfast on our way home from vacation and we had an excellent meal. The service was excellent and the food was delicious. It is a family run restaurant and they could not have been friendlier or more accommodating. It was great for a large party because we were able to call ahead for a table. We will definitely be stopping in next time we are in the area!

This restaurant is nothing to look at (it’s down to earth) but that said, we had a very delicious meal served without much waiting by a warm and friendly waitress after being greeted by a warm and friendly hostess. I had crab cakes (2); my wife had grilled shrimp (12, peeled); both were prepared superbly; both came with choice of 2 sides — we both had fried okra (never had had this before but I couldn’t get enough), cole slaw (nicely made without much mayonnaise) and scrumptious corn bread — fresh, soft, creamy and a bit sweet (very much to my taste, not so much to my wife’s: we both agreed it could double for cake/​dessert). We didn’t have dessert but they have a counter filled with fresh pies, cakes, and puddings that looked wickedly enticing for those who wish to indulge. We didn’t know about BJ’s before tonight — we were just driving to the Outer Banks and stopped because we were hungry, it was getting late, and we saw cars parked outside but I’m so glad we did! I highly recommend it — not for the ambiance, but for great food!