Old Carolina Barbecue

Best barbecue this side of Kansas City! We haven’t found anything this good anywhere close to here! This is the quality a great barbecue we found in Chicago. Great tasting food and portions for the price!

Great hospitality by the folks at Old Carolina BBQ. We had a large group come in to try the BBQ and they handle the sudden rush without a problem. Checked on is no stop and catered to us hand and foot. The food was fresh and hot. You can tell they go the extra mile for every order that goes out. We even got a tour of the back of the kitchen and their smoking process. When I’m back in the area, this is my spot to go to.

I bought a half rack here and at Angry BBQ. Not too bad but way better than Angry.
Decent smoke flavor and had a good smoke ring. It would be nice if they found a signature rub. The rib meat is equal to grocery store quality. The cornbread biscuit was good. I’d come back and try some of their other items.

When we asked where to eat good BBQ this place was the answer 4 out of 4 people asked. We were very happy with the quality of food and the portions were great size. We ate here on New Years Eve and did not feel rushed to leave. Brisket was so good we bought a quart to bring home. Looking forward to our next trip to Canton as well as the Old Carolina Barbecue as well! Can’t go wrong here!

This review is written after numerous visits to this establishment. When I was in high school I was a regular customer at old Carolina. After coming back from college and visiting the restraint I was shocked to see how everything went down hill.
Poor service, bad food, and unchanged menu. Terrible management also. Do what you please but I recommend going to the location on Cleveland ave. you can drink alcohol with your meal which will be the only good part about it.

Brisket and Pulled Pork are melt in your mouth good. Great food and great customer service.

We stopped here for dinner on Sat night, the place was packed which was a good sign. Upon entry, there’s a large menu posted on the wall so you have a chance to browse what to order before heading to the register.
We decided to get the sampler platter which included a little bit of everything. Brisket, pulled pork, chopped chicken, sliced turkey, ribs, 2 sides and a piece of cornbread. More than enough for 2 hungry people. With two drinks, came to about $ 25.00 which wasn’t bad at all. They also offer a rewards club app in which you rack up $ 1 per point and when you reach 100pts you get $ 10 off next visit.
Overall, the BBQ meats were good. If I had to pick for the next time, I would probably just get the ribs or brisket. The chicken was a bit dry and I bit into a little bone, which I know happens but it still turned me off. The sides were just OK. We got the garlic mash and green beans. The green beans definitely needed more seasoning, it kinda tasted right out of the can with some beef cubes added in.
If I had to compare this place to a major chain like Famous Daves, FD would win hands down. But for a small BBQ joint, this was pretty decent if you had a craving.

Fell in love with this place. I usually get sick of eating so much meat but I could eat theirs barbecue forever. Everything is so good here. Their meat, sauce, sides, even the servers are so sweet. Yummmmmm would go back to Ohio just to get a huge plate to go! :P

We loved the staff, the service and the food. The barbecue sauces were fantastic, the ribs, pulled pork, and turkey was as good as we have ever had. The food came quickly. We tried all of the sauces from the sauce bar. My kids each loved one of barbecue sauces. My husband and I loved the mustard based sauce especially paired with the turkey. The screaming beaver sauce was awesome! My husband had the sampler platter and literally loved everything. My family’s new favorite barbecue restaurant!!! The cost was fair and we took ribs home. We will be back soon and frequently!!!

Driving from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles and stopped by the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, OH. Got hungry and quickly found this BBQ joint. Great friendly staff. Welcomed us and gave us a quick lesson on their menu. Placed our order and got served some pretty damn good BBQ. Cool atmosphere, friendly staff, the ladies are beautiful and the food is good. What more can you ask for?
Portions are a good size and will fill you up. Try the cheerwine (they’re thing) but I loved the southern sweet tea.

Really no complaints here. Food is always good. It’s not the best bbq I’ve ever had but it definitely passes the cut. Service is always good too. The place is clean, the prices are fair and the environment is worth coming back to.

Great ribs, pulled pork, and the baked beans were amazing! One of my fav places for BBQ in NE Ohio.

My wife and I have been eating here ever since we got married 7 years ago and the food is just as good now if not better than when we first started coming! Amazing Que! This place is our go to for quality que and juicy, smoky meat. Their pulled pork is to die for, it is so tender and juicy almost every time, and the bark is some of the best that I have ever had! One of my favorite things to get here is definitely the beef brisket, they typically sliced lengthwise and only about a quarter of an inch thick but in my opinion that is perfect, it has the perfect amount of tooth. I have always been impressed by their service, it does take the food a minute to come out but their people are always incredibly friendly and willing to help you clear your tray, get you more sauces, etc. etc. You have to come try it!

Extremely friendly staff, very clean restaurant, great barbeque.
We came here for lunch on mothers day. My wife’s meal was free since she’s a mom. We got the pulled pork sandwich, brisket sandwich, and ribs.
The portions were huge. The food was outstanding. We were quite happy we stopped here.

Girls night at the local BBQ joint!
As we walked up to the restaurant I smelled that delicious smoky bbq and the air was filled with smoky goodness. Alas it was NOT old Carolina BBQ! It was the restaurant next door! I was tempted to just walk across the parking lot because that’s the smoky BBQ flavor I was hoping for. Alas my friends dragged me to Old Carolina.
This is a no frills place. You walk up to the counter and place your order. The cooks are directly behind the cashier. I ordered the pulled pork with fries. Moseyed over to the sauce collection. Seriously you really can’t go wrong with any of the sauces. My favorite was the tangy honey mustard.
My order was brought to our table within 5 minutes. The pulled pork was tender and flavorful. Two friends ordered the sliders and stuffed about 3 of those down in short order. The fries were a little over cooked. But dip those fries in the tangy BBQ sauce and they tasted ok. Decent portion size. Not too big, not too small.
The pricing is extremely affordable. You’ll leave satisfied.

Great Staff, Clean, Neat and food is super. It’s not fast food, but it’s as close as you can get and still get great ribs and an attractive price.

Great BBQ. My family and friends in North Carolina said it is as good or better then what they have there. The BBQ Capital of the world! Great service and very clean place to eat. Worth every Penny.

Mac & Cheese is banging. So was my pulled Chicken sandwich. You can choose your own sauce. I had to come back & edit my review bc my co-​worker said he was up all night vomiting. He was the only one that ate the beef brisket!

You can read my original full review as published on Discovering Stark County, here:
Stark County residents, did you know we have a barbecue joint called ‘Old Carolina Barbecue Company’ in our back yard?
I didn’t.
In fact, they’ve been here in Stark County for quite some time –and– there are 3 Stark County locations to choose from. This past Sunday, after seeing a random photo on Facebook about a local festival, I was taken to Old Carolina’s Fan Page. After reading some of the comments and looking at the pictures, I decided to drive down and check it out…
The location closest to me is on Everhard Rd in Canton, and if you go looking for it, like I did, it may become apparent why you too have not noticed it before: it’s easy to miss.
There are two signs out front. The main sign is buried among the mosaic of the Plaza signs’, and the other is a plain wooden sign tucked under the trees (pictured right). If you need a land mark, it’s next door to the Brown Derby, and almost across the street from Pier One Imports — if that helps you.
Despite being located in a plaza, you’ll be greeted by an out door patio that is nicely maintained, and you’ll hardly be bothered by the traffic from Everhard Rd.
I ordered a pulled-​pork sandwich, mashed potatoes, green beans and poured a Dr. Pepper to go with it. Once you order, you just have a seat and the folks behind the counter will bring your food out to you. I was here after lunch hours, however, this place can be quite packed during lunch, so you may want to call ahead and order. Did I mention they also cater?!
It’s no secret that I dislike menus that do not have a full array of photos for items on the menu. OC’s menu is here on the wall, and you have to let your stomach and smell be your guide. Also not mentioned on the menu is their FREE WIFI! Awesome.
They have a full array of original tasting BBQ sauces. My favorite, and the most spicy was the «Screamin’ Beaver» — honestly, it wasn’t that hot though. It was just right. When compared to BW3 Wing Sauce or Quaker Stake and Lube, I would rate their heat level a mild to medium by comparison. However, its not wing sauce, its a delicious spicy BBQ sauce — and I know you’ll just love it too.
My food was delicious, of course. One thing I hate when I read food reviews is trusting someone else’s taste buds. What I can tell you is this joint is a jumpin’ with business and they are expanding and growing as a chain. Old Carolina’s is a slam dunk any day or evening out. Give it a try — and don’t be afraid to give up Cola for the day to taste their Cherry Wine soda!
In summary
The bathrooms were very nice and clean and appropriately stocked with toiletries. Yeah!
Pro’s:
Offers take out, and catering services
Out door patio
Not the most expensive lunch in Stark County
Well kept single use bathrooms
Friendly, knowledgeable staff
Name tags & uniform wore by all staff, and clearly identifiable
Contact information /​Managers Business card available for suggestions or comment.
Facebook Page nicely maintained and has frequent engagement with users which include promotions. Nice Job guys!
Nice modern and well kept website! Thank you!
FREE WIFI, as of the posting of this blog! *happy dance*
Con’s:
No pictures of meal items on the menus. Boo!
Plaza location and parking can be annoying for patio outside
Location on Everhard Rd is can be missed the 1^st and even 2^nd time you are looking for it unless you know its there. Invest in a better sign guys! Better yet, move to the Strip in N. Canton !
Old Carolina Barbecue on Urbanspoon
Scoring System:
There are 50 line items I check for when reviewing a restaurant, and each item is worth 5 points for a total of 250 points to earn.
May 27^th 2014 — Old Carolina scored 195 Points, and that equals a ‘Let’s Go!’ in my book!

I stopped in here for a quick lunch and they succeeded with this. I ordered the pulled pork for $ 5.99. It wasn’t mouth watering juicy but wasn’t bad either. My friend ordered the ¹⁄₃ slab of ribs and they were okay. There were four of us and that is how we all felt about the place. It was nice trying the four sauces as the hot one definitely has a nice kick.
They have lunch specials everyday which could make this a decent lunch stop. Overall a decent meal for a decent price but nothing special. i will end this by saying I am not a barbecue fanatic so don’t discount this place if you love barbecue. It might taste better to you than me.