Carter’s Pig Pen Bar-B-Que

Decent. We were hungry and this place was nearby. It didn’t exactly ‘wow’ us, but the food was obviously fresh and home-​made. I felt that the sides were a little bland, personally.

I just pulled off of 295 looking for good BBQ. I had the large Grandma’s sandwich platter with BBQ beans and green beans with a drink for $ 10. Is good BBQ but likely not the best you’ve had. The sides were small and the green beans lacked a lot of taste. The BBQ beans were very good but small. Ask them to taste the two BBQs so you can pick the right one for you. They were happy to let you sample the Q. Again not the best… But is does hit the spot if you’re looking for a quick BBQ fix. I’d come back again if I was in the area.

This establishment serves delicious bbq. The building is small & I’ve always gotten take away. The restaurant appears to have been a house at one time; there is a large pink pig painted on the roof. I highly recommend the combo platter with choice of three (pork, chicken, beef) different types of q. All the side items are great, the baked beans in particular are on point. The corn muffins are really good. Service is friendly, fast, and I’ve never had a problem with my order. Four stars because they are not open on Sunday.

Consistently awesome food, and some of the best BBQ in the Richmond area (THE best, in my opinion). They offer both vinegar and tomato based BBQ products which is fantastic (I’m a vinegar guy, the other half isn’t), a great assortment of sides (the potato salad is amazing) and the food is always prepared fresh and delivered quickly.
The only strikes against Carter’s are:
1. They are just as stingy with the side items as every other BBQ restaurant in Richmond. You get this tiny little styrofoam cup filled with precisely measured contents and not an ounce more. I sort of get it: you’re here for the BBQ, not the delicious green beans. But if I order green beans, or any other side, I would like more than 1 – 2 mouthfuls.
2. The hours. Unless they’ve changed recently, they close early (7 – 8:00 I think) and aren’t open on Sunday. BBQ a is «weekend» sort of food for me, and half the weekend they aren’t there.
Also note that Carter’s isn’t good for large groups. The restaurant is in what used to be a small house, and the dining rooms are two small former bedrooms. It’s very cozy, but larger groups would have to spread out and/​or split up between the two dining rooms.
Overall, highly recommended.

Awesome local BBQ place. Some of the best BBQ I’ve had in Richmond. Everything I’ve had here has been great. Even the chili dog is superb and rather surprising for a BBQ place. Sides are always hot and fresh with a great homemade taste. They have a nice slightly spicy tomato/​vinegar based sauce called Grandma’s size that is quite tasty along with a NC style vinegar based sauce called Carter’s which is also good. They serve their chicken sandwich with another special BBQ sauce that is delightful.

Delicious homemade bbq, feels like you’re eating at grandma’s house. Loved the combo meal which comes with a sandwich, two sides and a drink. The pork was tender and juicy, got it with the Carter sauce but also tried Grandma’s sauce both are DELICIOUS! Fresh corn muffins, real cole slaw, and potato salad were all yumm. Great quality and portions for the prices too! Hope to be able to make it back here next time I’m in the area. Great local flavor in a small charming old house. Highly recommend it!

Carters BBQ is a old house turned into a great place to get BBQ. If your not looking you will drive right by. Looks like two houses side by side with a small parking lot out front. I have only had the pulled pork sandwich but it’s big and they use the vinegar base. Nothing fancy about this place just good food and they do cater. I have seen a few couples come in asking about that. Just like the other BBQ spots in and around Richmond, they have their own flavor.

Best bbq around. I love this stuff. Everytime I go I keep wanting more. Fresh tasting and the vinegar and spice mixture is mouth watering. Prices are reasonable especially if you have a family and order a larger dinner.

We love trying ribs and BBQ at various places and Carter’s was definitely top notch for ribs. They were super meaty and thick; more meat than you typically find on ribs. The flavor was outstanding with an authentic smoked taste. They were dry rubbed with just the right amount of kick from the spices. Really, the best ribs we’ve had in Richmond. The BBQ was also good; we prefer the NC vinegar style, which delivered. You can see the red pepper flakes, so you know it’s good stuff. Plus, you know it’s quality BBQ since there’s a pig painted on the roof!

Great bbq! I was in Mechanicsville for work and did a quick Unilocal search for a local place to eat dinner. Carter’s was on top of the list… I like barbeque… Decision made!
This is a great place. Don’t let the exterior put you off. This is a true local gem. I had to have the ultimate platter so I could try everything and it was fantastic!
If you’re looking for ambience and fine dining — go somewhere else. If you’re looking for an excellent bbq — go to Carter’s.

We are always looking for good, quick food on the go while we are traveling.
Fast and friendly service and great pulled pork sandwiches with the perfect serving of sides. I’d definitely go back next time we drive through! We sat outside with our dog and 1 yr old.

I’ve had their ribs and pulled pork a couple times. Found the ribs to be OK, felt like they were over smoked. Pulled pork was moist, but bland, shouldn’t. Corn bread was amazing, staff is quick efficient.

It was a great day in Richmond to Venture into Mechanicsville to have some BBQ. I read the many reviews here on Unilocal for Carter’s Pig Pen BBQ, so I thought it would be worth the drive, and I am glad I decided to go…
First Carter’s BBQ is not a traditional BBQ place in a Strip Mall… It is a little OLD house in which they converted to be their Restaurant. If you look too quickly or drive by, you may miss it. The one things which catches your eye is the Pink Pig painted on the tin roof fo the little house. When I saw this, I somehow felt I was going to eat some GOOD BBQ today. Upon walking in, they have an Order Counter with it’s menu above. There is NO sit down on the inside, so you either Order to GO or take it outside to one of their several tables… or better yet, eat in your car.
I Ordered the Carter’s Platter which is the NC Style Vinegar base BBQ. On the platter, you got Baked Beans, Cole Slaw and Potato Salad with Cornbread. I picked up my drink along with my utizels and headed outside to a picknick table. I brought my small dog along, so he sat next to me waiting… The young man who took my Order brought out my Platter, some BBQ Sauce and I was all set…
I could see I had a huge portion of BBQ along with the Potato Salad, Cole Slaw and Bake Beans. I was thinking where do I start, so I added some BBQ Sauce on my pulled Pork, and took a bite. It was moist and NOT dry, with a nice Smokey Hickory Flavor. The Bake Beans had just the right amount of Brown Sugar. The Potato Salad was Excellent in both Taste and not too much Mayonaisse. The Slaw was VERY good as well…
It was worth the drive to Mechanicsville as they certainly know their BBQ. If you are looking for a traditional Sit down Restaurant for BBQ, than this place is NOT your place. But, if you are looking for really GOOD NC Style BBQ, and enjoy eating outside on a beautiful day… than this is the place to come too. The ONLY thing I did not like was the Styrofoam plate in which they serve the food. Because of this, I give it 4 Stars. I recommend going there, but make sure you do one thing when you are in the area… DO NOT blink or otherwise you may miss the place…

Each variety of BBQ I have tried is good so far. The green beans are a bit over the top greasy. The ribs are well seasoned but always tough. I’d I get ribs here, I expect ~ 3 additional hours in the oven at 250f and they are wonderful.
The seating area isn’t obvious at first but you can eat in too.

Carters is the place to go for barbecue around Richmond area if you are looking for Carolina style (which, who isn’t?). Although they also offer a tomato-​based sauce (Grandmas), the vinegar sauce is definitely where it’s at (Carter’s). Carter’s also has brisket, ribs, and chicken– which I have actually tried all of and are all very delicious. However– pulled pork is definitely the star here.
They have a variety of different platters, but the gist is barbecue, slaw, sides. My personal favorite sides are the green beans and corn bread, but I hear the potato salad is highly crave-​able (I don’t eat mayonnaise, so haven’t tried it). The sweet tea is also on point.
The place is housed in a tiny old house converted into a kitchen, ordering counter, and a few small tables to sit at– extremely charming. It is family run and we have always had good service and been able to find a place to sit if we wanted to dine in! Definitely check it out if you’re in Richmond, you won’t regret it!

It turns out, the tiny shack with a pig on the roof can cook some incredible Bar-​B-​Que.
Carter’s offers two BBQ styles: Carter’s and Grandma’s, which is Pig Pen code for Vinegar based (Carter’s) and Tomato Based (Grandma’s). I’m a tomato BBQ sauce fan, and no surprise, I found Grandma’s sauce to be much more pleasing than the sour vinegar Carter’s flavor. Both were brilliantly made in their own right though, and if you dine in, they have bottles of both on the tables. Feel free to experiment like I did.
I went with the pulled pork sandwich, and it really was a top notch pulled pork. Tender, juicy, and went perfectly with gobs of BBQ sauce.
The sides of baked beans and cole slaw were pretty standard on their own, with the cole slaw being creamier than I’ve seen elsewhere. This slaw was elevated to memorable deliciousness when I decided to trust the locals and go Virginia Style, placing the slaw right on the sandwich. I then realized the creamy crunchiness was by design, because it went perfectly with that oh-​so-​wonderful pulled pork and bbq sauce.
The interior atmosphere is about what you would expect when looking from the outside of the small house. Tiny and basic, with an ordering counter and two separate rooms with limited seating.
Definitely some of the best BBQ I’ve had in a while.

Delicious pulled chicken combo! Add some cole slaw on the sandwich and get corn bread on the side. The most delicious bbq place I’ve had.

If you’re new to the neighborhood, just look for the giant pig painted on the roof! The food is excellent. Wish we could have sat outside but the BBQ attracted too many flies! But, the servers are nice and even gave us a free bottle of water for the road.

Good, down home BBQ place. I grew up on North Carolina BBQ, and I’m always looking for a great vinegar based flavor. Carter’s serves both vinegar based and tomato based styles, and you can get chicken, pork, or beef. I’ve only had the pork, but it’s been great!
All the sides I’ve tried are fantastic! The baked beans are awesome, and the cornbread is always a treat. I tried a cookie today, and it was melt in your mouth fantastic. The only reason it’s not 5 stars is because I’m a BBQ snob, and nothing beats TRUE NC BBQ.

Solid Carolina style pulled pork, served out of a converted house. I would recommend going for the kaiser roll, which holds up better under the vinegar.
The potato salad is great; the baked beans good; and the green beans boring.
They have grilled cheese and PBJ for the kids who don’t like ‘cue.