Family Restaurant Review: Duke's Old South BBQ

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Brandy Metzger

Duke's food

Leland, located just across the Cape Fear River from Wilmington, has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past few years. This development has brought many businesses across the bridge and a variety of dining options. One of the most recent restaurants to open in the area is Duke’s Old South BBQ.

As a resident of Leland, I was excited to try out this new restaurant. My family and I visited on a Friday evening about 6PM. Upon entering, we went straight to the cash register to purchase 3 buffet meals which are reasonable priced at $8.95 for adults and $5.75 for children ages 3-8. The owner, David McCall, offered us a sample of the restaurant’s signature pork hash before we proceeded down the buffet line.

The buffet includes the following items: BBQ pork, BBQ chicken, fried chicken, pork hash and rice, macaroni and cheese, green beans, baked beans, hushpuppies, potato salad, coleslaw, pickles and banana pudding. There are also 3 sauces to choose from to compliment the BBQ pork.

My family and I were able to sample all of the meats on the buffet. The pork hash and rice is a unique dish which I had never eaten before, but I learned from the owner David that the recipe is a traditional low country recipe that has been passed down for several generations. The sweet, yet savory flavor was reminiscent of Brunswick stew. The fried chicken was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside and beats any other restaurant in the area. As for the pulled pork, I found it to be moist without being greasy. I also liked the fact that the meat was free of sauce which allows the diner to choose the amount of sauce (if any) that they would like to use.

The side dishes were also delicious. My daughter loved the macaroni and cheese and the flavorful green beans while my favorites were the homemade baked beans and the rich and creamy banana pudding. The menu is not extensive because the food is made fresh daily by owners Bo and David McCall. The streamlined menu offers all the items one would expect at a BBQ restaurant while the quality of food exceeds that of the typical BBQ joint.

The flavorful food is the highlight of this family restaurant as the ambience is a bit bland. The feel of the dining room is a bit cafeteria- like with long tables arranged in straight lines and bright fluorescent lighting overhead. There is also not much in the way of entertainment for children. There are some amazing photos of early 20^th century coastal and agrarian life on one wall in the restaurant which my husband and daughter found quite interesting, but beyond that there are no other interesting features. The restaurant is still relatively new, however, and owner David McCall says that he has plans for adding some interesting features in the future.

Duke’s Old South BBQ is open from 11 am to 8:30 pm Wednesday through Saturday and 11 am to 3 pm on Sunday.  In addition to offering the all you can eat buffet, the restaurant also provides take-out and catering.

If you are in the mood for great food with a side of Southern hospitality, Duke’s Old South BBQ is the place to go. For those in Wilmington, I’d say it is worth the trip over the bridge to visit this family-owned and operated restaurant.