Hobgood's Family Barbecue
North Churton Street, Hillsborough
This is a report from the front: Shinola returned from Hobgood's less than
an hour ago, so this write-up is hot and fresh.
Wish I could say the same for the barbecue. Now, I don't want to slam Hobgood's too hard, because it's pretty close to Carrboro, and I'm therefore more likely to eat there than at any other shack in the state. Besides, the waitresses are right friendly, and they'll provide you with crayons and xeroxes of chihuahuas and cows and such like to color on while you're waiting for your grub.
But while Hobgood's is both convenient and friendly, it's also a whole lot like a light switch: it's off as often as it's on. Don't get me wrong; I've had some mighty fine bbq at Hobgood's, and I do declare they have some of the best hush puppies in the state. They also make a mean dish of turnip greens, admirable brunswick stew, and they provide each table with a plethora of sauces.
But today's fare was only passable, and both Adam Walker and Alec Vance gave a thumbs down to the matched potatoes, which they reckoned were powdered. Oh, Alec, who's hovering over my shoulder, tells me it was the gravy that sunk the boat, not the taters. At any rate, the barbecue--which is what we're all here for, after all-- was tender enough (and sometimes it can be dry at Hobgood's), but not very inspired. It was also warm, which seems to be an optional temperature at Hobgood's. In the final analysis, there was just no life in that dead, cooked pig. --The Mayor
The pork had a kind of funny aftertaste that was not as pleasing as the usual lingering threads of pork and sauce between my teeth... That same funny taste that maligned the mashed potatoes. Also, some of the meat seemed to be cooked to different degrees. There was even what appeared to be a big hunk of skin in my plate. --Alec
It made me bloated and ill after only half the plate. And for only six bucks! Hobgoods is everything I want out of a family barbecue joint. --Anthony
A very important note about Hobgood's in Hillsborough-
if you
get your bbq to go, make sure to buy some sauce too, because unlike most
bbq joints, Hobgood's gives you just plain cooked pork with no sauce
whatsoever. Severely disappointed me after driving all the way there and
back. --Bo Williams