In my everlasting search for a quality BBQ restaurant that is actually in Charlotte, I decided to try Bert ‘N Gert’s BBQ & More (located at 9401 Statesville Rd, Suite C, 28269).

I arrived around 1:30pm on a Tuesday (June 17th) and the restaurant was very slow - only a couple of other people dining. I ordered a BBQ plate and had to wait a little longer than I should have to get it. When it came it look delicious. Unfortunately, that is there the deliciousness ended. The BBQ tasted extremely watery. Almost as if they had added water to it to keep it moist. It was not very appetizing at all. It was actually some of the worst BBQ I have ever had.

I recalled hearing a BBQ guy on the food network state one time that “sauce hides things.” Well, they need to use more sauce. After forcing about a 1/4 of the BBQ down without sauce, I tried their varying sauces which were all sufficient. None of them were “knock your socks off and give me a bottle to take home good,” but they did an ok job of covering up the watered down pork.

On a positive note, the slaw was excellent and the hush puppies were awesome. The baked beans were just average. My three year old stated that his grilled cheese was “good.”

To sum it up, I probably will not be going back just for the amazing hush puppies and slaw. I will continue my search for quality Charlotte BBQ. At least there are a few good places just outside of Charlotte with good BBQ (Courtney’s in Clover and Alfred & Charlie’s in Gastonia). I think I need to plan a trip to Lexington BBQ (in Lexington) so I can once again see what I am missing.

Every time I visit Eastern North Carolina, I search out a Smithfields Chicken & BBQ. Smithfield’s is the largest BBQ chain in the state that is known for the best barbeque anywhere. According to Smithfield’s website, they pride themselves on serving a consistent product in all of their restaurants. You can enjoy fast service through the drive through or experience a full dining experience inside the restuarants. I am always throughly impressed by the friendly staff at any location I have visited and the fact that all locations I have visited have been impeccably clean. The lowest health rating I have ever seen at one was a 95, and I was surprised by it. Most of the time they are proudly displaying a big fat 100.

Smithfields is another one of those restaurants that I always order too much at. I can’t control myself. I only get it once in a blue moon and when I do, I want all of the good stuff I have not been able to get in months. This trip, I reigned myself in quite a bit and ordered a BBQ sandwich and a 1/4 plate of dark chicken. The sandwich was its usual moist and delicous. The slaw on it was perfect. Many places try to serve chopped cabbage with mayonaise and pass it off as slaw, but Smithfields does it right.

As I was driving home from a long week of fishing, I decided to save the chicken for the ride home. A couple of hours later, it hit the spot. Lightly breaded and fried to perfection - much the same way that my mom cooks it.

When you are in Eastern NC, stop at a Smithfields. I just wish they would open one near me. On the other hand, I do not know if my weight could handle it so close. I would easily put on another 25 pounds if it were close.

Just a short 10 minute drive past Lake Wylie, in the town of Clover, sits Courtney’s BBQ. When I hear the word “BBQ” around here, I always think of pork barbecue. Courtney’s has great pork BBQ, but it does not stop there. They have a host of other items on the menu as well, including award winning ribs and some of the best barbecue chicken you will find at any restaurant. They even have excellent fried seafood. For a long while, I was in the habit of ordering the all I could eat fried perch which are lightly breaded and fried to perfection. The fried shrimp are also great. Unlike many other restaurants who serve shrimp flavor breading, Courtney’s lightly breads their shrimp and fries them just right providing some of the best fried shrimp in the area.

Back to my review of this visit. As usual, the service was very good- although, I always seem to drink my tea faster than the glass gets full. This isn’t as bad as many restaurants though because all of the staff seem to help out in making sure all of the glasses are full -not just the tables in their section.

This time, I ordered a half-BBQ chicken and pork BBQ combo. As usual, my eyes were bigger than my stomach as I could not finish it. I think my mind was thinking 1/4 BBQ chicken instead of a half. The chicken was amazing. It was tender and juicy throughout and provided a great smoked flavor that could be supplemented with several of Courtney’s signature sauces. The BBQ was some of the best I have had in the area - moist throughout with a perfect blend of spices to flavor the meat.

The only bad part of my visit was that when I was placing my leftover chicken breast and wing in the to go container, I dropped it on the floor. I was so bummed out.

If anyone is in the area or if they are just tired of the same old chain barbeque joints in Charlotte, they should drive out and give Courtney’s a try. Just be sure to check their website for hours. They are only open full days on Thursday through Saturday, and a half day on Sundays (until 2:30).