Blues on Franklin has become my go-to BBQ restaurant! I travel the nation (airline pilot) and go to BBQ restaurants whenever I can. Blues is by far my favorite in the whole nation! Andrew (the owner) adds a personal touch to all customer interactions. The brisket is sliced thinly, is extremely lean and tasty! If in the UNC area, run (don’t walk) to Blues for the best brisket in the nation!!! — Charley

Loved eating here for the first time! The owners are really nice -- they even brought out roses for the women graduates during commencement weekend! So thoughtful! The menu alone was worth a whole conversation topic and the food was great. Would love to come here again :) — Lillian

This is hand's down the best BBQ restaurant that I have been to in the Triangle. My girlfriend Jennifer and I ate here the other night. The owner Andrew is extremely personal and provides a one-of-a-kind experience. Highly creative menu along with North Carolina Classic Barbeque. There menu provides options for seasoned BBQ lovers to your novice. There is something here for everyone. We tried the Smoked Tips and the Filly Cheese Steak, both were fantastic. For sides we had Onion Rings, Hush Puppies, Mac’N Cheese, and Apple sauce. All great and made from scratch. I would highly recommend stopping in to see Andrew and his great team. The restaurant is right on Franklin Street in the old Oil and Gas building. I will definitely be back. — Benjamin

Wow. This place is lights-out amazing for BBQ. Our family was debating our favorites between the Smoked Tips, every possible kind of meat in Farm-Uh-Gedden hoagie, thinly sliced to perfection beef brisket, or the crazy delicious, saucy pork ribs. This is a new place to Chapel Hill with the owner being a 3-generation local. If you are walking on Franklin, there’s no way you can miss this place with the true smoked BBQ. Just as good as the food is the hospitality - the waitstaff made sure we had everything and the owner came out to introduce himself. I’ve had great BBQ many time before but this place knocks it out of the park. Don’t forget to save a little room for the cinnamon and sugar donut holes since I could have eaten a dozen of those things.- Jon

“Holy Smokes!” - Jakob
Hi, I’m Liz - just ordered from you guys earlier tonight! My partner, Jakob, was very adamant that I start this email off with the above quote from him (spoken after he tried the ribs). I, for one, am in complete agreement with him.
Everything was superb - from the entrees to the sides to the sauces - this was our first time eating y’all’s food, and we definitely look forward to exploring the rest of the menu!
Thanks you guys!
- Liz

My son and I were in town on a UNC college visit, all the way from Kansas. Eating at Blues on Franklin was one of my highlights of the trip. We had just explored the campus by foot for the previous 4 hrs. We had worked up an appetite and opened the doors to the sensational smells of smokehouse. The menu was so entertaining and clever.
The owner, Andrew, came out and visited with us. He made us feel right at home. He is UNC alumni and the restaurant is owned by 3 generations of Tar Heels. He hyped us up sharing stories and referring to Chapel Hill as a charming connected community. Our party of four shared wings, pulled pork, brisket, ribs, mac n cheese, onion rings, banana puddin, and cinnamon donuts. Our plates were empty and our palates were happy.
Our coats smelled like Carolina smoked BBQ for the remainder of the trip and we 100% did not mind. I look forward to returning here for years to come when I visit my son in Chapel Hill! — Dawn

We had a wonderful experience here! Could smell the food from the street and weren't disappointed-- the food was delicious! Hospitality was above and beyond. All the staff were kind and thoughtful, thinking of our potential needs before we even had the opportunity to ask. Would highly recommend a visit to all!

We were in Chapel Hill for a wedding the week of Blue's soft opening the last week of October. While trying to find an open eatery during NC strict restaurant Covid-19 guidelines, we followed our noses to the source of great BBQ smoke. This dad/grillmaster and his family welcomed us warmly. Andrew Young is a  true Blue Tarheel and does pork right. Despite being busy with opening and smoking tasks, Andy took the time to give us the grand tour and shared his love of all things Carolina Blue, family, and smoking pork. Even opened his awesome smoker for us to see where the magic happens. We left with enough BBQ and delicious sides for several meals. Our takeout was so well packed we could store leftovers in the hotel fridge for the ride back to VA. We highly recommend stopping by Blue's on Franklin for great food and and even greater customer service. Thanks, Andy and family, for making our visit to Chapel Hill and stroll on Franklin so tasty and memorable. ❤💙 — Faye

This is the BEST place for bbq in Chapel Hill! If you haven’t been yet, get over there now! A true mom and pop place with a great staff and North Carolina roots. Andrew and his sons make you feel at home and put 110 percent into their food and your dining experience. The prices are very reasonable and the food is delicious. I will definitely be a repeat customer! —Evan, Delta Air Lines

Excellent Carolina style barbeque!
Very cozy atmosphere and the live music is great! (The owner must have connections!) It's my new favorite BBQ restaurant! - Max

Excellent bbq sandwich sitting outside people watching. The Q is excellent! Smokey and lean. French fries are a unique style, crunchy and so good.
The onion/mushroom/white cheddar side is fantastic. Lots of room outside for Covid safe dining, and plenty of room inside too when it gets colder. Nice bar area to stop in and hang out too. Chapel Hill people watching...great. This will be a "go to" place for sure. For long term Chapel Hillians, Blue is in the old Merritts gas station on Franklin Street. For newer residents, 110 West Franklin a couple doors down from the Ben & Jerry's. — Carl

If you want true, southern food that reminds you of home (like it does for myself), then this is the place to be. The people are so friendly and the food is amazing - have never had an entree here I didn’t love. Also, roll heels! - Blake

The wings are great, great environment for a game. Met the owner and his son both amazing people. Check this place out folks!!! — Chris

Lovely, lovely restaurant that just opened near UNC run by a 3 generations of alumni. My friend and I were craving BBQ and happened to notice this place as we were walking, and we decided to check it out in case it was open. Much to our luck, we went inside and heard that this was their first full day of being open for business!

With a restaurant opening during the pandemic, I had low expectations, and I was ready to be forgiving of the experience and food. Fortunately, the restaurant needed no excuses, as everything we ordered was great. They recommended the Awesome Nachos, which are basically sidewinder fries and onion rings topped with their signature pulled pork and melted cheese--a bit of a heart attack on a plate, but unquestionably worth the damage. We also got the pulled pork plate with sautéed mushrooms and onion rings, which came with a delicious bun (delightfully buttery and sweet, while still retaining the quality of a sturdy bun). As a big wings person, I had to try their "Smoked Buck Naked Wings." Here, the quality of their smoking really shone through, enhancing the excellent flavors (I got Dook Stinks Hot and Sweet BBQ) with an extra layer of complexity. Their hottest offering features an interesting twist of habenero mixed with a buffalo sauce and dry rub mixture(?), while the Sweet BBQ was a classic sweet-but-not-too-sweet kind of BBQ sauce that stood out to me largely because I normally dislike BBQ flavors. They suggested the "Impossible Dessert," which is basically ice cream, a brownie, and (optional) donut holes, generally sprinkled with cinnamon sugar... an idea I plan on stealing for my own cooking. Again, decadent to an insane degree, but hard to feel like it's not worth it after you're done.

I've only dined out a handful of times since the pandemic started, but my experience here reminded me of the best dining out experiences I used to have. The owner and wait staff were incredibly attentive, friendly, and accommodating, and it's clear that their hearts are in this restaurant and community. The term "family business" gets used to a lot to evoke a sense of warmth and welcome, but Blue's truly has a wonderful family story behind it, and I hope they can experience generations to come. — Michael

This restaurant is an amazingly awesome gift to Chapel Hill. I am a  native North Carolinian and therefore consider myself a connoisseur of true southern BBQ, vinegar based of course. I had the privilege and pleasure to dine here and for the first time in a long time I had tried and true REAL southern BBQ with soul!
It took me back to my childhood days. The que was perfectly seared and seasoned. And the sauce was spot on. In fact my daughter said it was the absolute BEST she had ever tasted. This is definitely a stop for anyone in the area craving superb southern BBQ. Ada and Andrew were so helpful and knowledgeable. They even offered a sample and they were just genuinely interested in answering any questions. So folks if you are interested in experiencing real southern BBQ with southern hospitality, this is the place. — Elizabeth

Great vibe in this restaurant. We got food to go but they still took the time to show us their smoker and decor (all UNC stuff of course!). The smoke flavor definitely came through in the meat - I would recommend dousing it in the proper eastern barbecue sauce for optimum experience. We also tried the rib tips which were a little spicy for some but I could've housed a whole tray of them.

Definitely worth a try and a good addition for Chapel Hill. — Mitchell

Oh my goodness, the food here is delicious. Like other top pitmasters in the area, the pitmaster here has developed his own style: smoky, drier than some without being too dry, flavorful but subtle.
Besides really good BBQ, Blue's has outstanding hot dogs -- cooked in the smoker. Their fries are hand cut and their wings are smoky and spicy.
Owner/pitmaster seems to be a genuinely nice guy who enjoys interacting with his customers. - Scott

This place is exactly what Chapel Hill needed desperately. A locally owned, real wood barbecue place, right in the heart of downtown! The owner told me that he smokes the pork 22 hours, right in store. The family that runs this place is incredibly nice and the food is so good that I ate there twice in two days just so I could bring my friends to try it. If you go, get the awesome nachos with onions and mushrooms, you will not be sorry! — Tyler

Everything is to die for. We got the smoked tips, hog wild mac and cheese, and pulled pork plate. The fries are some of the best I've ever had and clearly housemade. Everything was 100% perfect could not ask for better food or better service. Waitress and owner were very nice and friendly. Will most likely be back tomorrow. — Aubrey

The food was really delicious and the staff were really nice. Definitely one of the best restaurants I've been to! - Justin

Great food loved the hospitality. 10/10 would recommend anyone to go dine in. Overall a great place to bring the kids and enjoy some sports. Franklin Street was in need of a BBQ joint and Blue's is perfect. - Christopher

Family Owned & Operated By 3 Generations of Heels. Everything from BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich, Burgers from Cows, Impossible Burger, and Filly Cheese Steaks. Plenty of sides from baked beans, collard greens, and onion rings. I recommend the Awesome Nachos! — Randy

I have lived, worked and played in chapel hill for over 7 years and one thing I can swear by is this; there are so many places in chapel hill but no place that has as much chapel hill in it. Whether students, alumni, locals or visitors, this is an absolute must, and an up-and-coming staple much needed on Franklin Street and Chapel Hill. — Ezra

Happened to be next door during the afternoon of the second day of their soft opening, and the smell was so good I had to check it out. The wonderfully-friendly staff (including the new owner) told me all about their new restaurant, showed me the interior (what a great space!), and told me about their launch plans. (Their already-large menu will be expanded to things like smoked duck and trout and ribs as they progress.)

I placed a carryout order for the FARM-UH-GEDDEN sandwich (Hoagie with pulled pork, smoked sausage, cheddar cheese, onion rings and sweet honey BBQ sauce) with two sides (the collard greens and baked beans) and a bana pudding.

Result? Well, greens are greens, and the baked beans were too earthy (they need more molasses or brown sugar or honey or whatever the recipe called for as a sweetener), but the banana pudding was delicious. And as for the sandwich? Not only was it filling (I skipped dinner) and tasted AMAZING (and I normally don't like onion rings--but the flavor here mixed perfectly with rest of the ingredients), but the flavor was unlike anything I had ever eaten before. A great BBQ place is one thing. But a great BBQ place where you can get something no one else offers?? That you don't find too often.

Yes, it's in the least-accessible part of Franklin St, parking-wise (which makes lunch carry out a chore), but it's worth the effort. Downtown Chapel Hill finally got a place worth going downtown for. — James

Super nice staff/owner....spent some time talking with both. Came in twice in one day, once midday for just NC bbq sauce to bring home and the owner threw in smoked ends gratis... because they were so friendly and generous, we order take out for dinner. They forgot 3 of our sides :( but were very apologetic. The food was very good, got pull pork sandwiches, corn, fries and collard greens. Looking forward to coming to back again when visiting our son at UNC. Giving 5 stars for the friendly attitude, which goes a long way with me. — Dede

Fairly new restaurant in town. Located in the former Moe's location on Franklin Street.

Stopped in on Saturday evening. Were in a BBQ mood. There was two of us for dinner.

Started out with the burnt tips with sauce and ranch dressing. Burnt tips were delish with and without the bbq sauce. Also had six of the smoked wings with the Dook sucks hour sauce. Good flavor. Wings are smoked for 4 hours. Just right. Good smoky flavor without being overpowering.

Went with two pulled pork plates. Pulled pork came on plate with vinegar based sauce and small container of slaw. Sides came in seperated containers. Corn on the cob was good. Mac and cheese was good. Baked beans were fine. I mentioned to Andrew that I thought a little bit of smoked bits might give the beans a BBQ flavor.

I also had the sautéed mushrooms and onions in white cheese. I like all of these but never had them together as a side. Definitely a good choice and will be on my sides list next time.

For dessert we had cinnamon donut holes with ice cream. Tasty way to top of the meal.

They also serve burgers, but we were in a BBQ pork mood.

As a new restaurant that had opened up during the time of COVID, they have plans to expand their menu as time goes on. They are working on getting the basics down pat.

Will we be back? Yes. Will I recommend this place to family and friends? Yes. — Gene

This is hand's down the best BBQ restaurant that I have been to in the Triangle. My girlfriend Jennifer and I ate here the other night. The owner Andrew is extremely personal and provides a one-of-a-kind experience. Highly creative menu along with North Carolina Classic Barbeque. There menu provides options for seasoned BBQ lovers to your novice. There is something here for everyone. We tried the Smoked Tips and the Filly Cheese Steak, both were fantastic. For sides we had Onion Rings, Hush Puppies, Mac’N Cheese, and Apple sauce. All great and made from scratch. I would highly recommend stopping in to see Andrew and his great team. The restaurant is right on Franklin Street in the old Oil and Gas building. I will definitely be back. — Benjamin

My wife, father-in-law, and I came in to this evening (12/27) after I had read a story about y’all starting up this year. I can’t tell you how nice it was to walk in and be greeted so nicely. Granted, things may have been slow, but that wouldn’t have mattered at most places. The wonderful service continued the entire time that we were there. The food? Well, I’m originally from Georgia, the other 2 are originally from Kansas, and we live in Texas, so we like to think that we know barbecue. You may be presenting some of your barbecue in a non traditional way (Filly Cheese steak, Farm-Uh-Gedden, and the Mac and Cheese), but it is absolutely fantastic. I’ll go as far as to say that the Farm-Uh-Gedden is the best sandwich that I’ve ever had, and the Filly Cheese Steak wasn’t far behind (I stole some from my wife). The Smoked Tips were something that I’ve never had, but I was really impressed with the flavor, and they were a fantastic way to start a great meal.

I would have posted this on something like Trip Advisor, but I couldn’t find y’all on there. I just wanted you to know how much we enjoyed both the service and food tonight. I don’t know when or if we’ll be back in Chapel Hill, but if we are, I’ll be making sure that we’re headed your way.

Sincerely,
Billy
Houston, TX

Best BBQ around! I have lived in the area for over 25 years... never have I been able to drive around chapel hill and be hit by the sweet smell of hickory smoke. Food is absolutely delicious. The owner and his son are some of the nicest people around. — Zack

First time back in Chapel Hill in a few years, and what an amazing surprise smelling hickory and oak on Franklin! Great pork (the tips are fantastic) and super friendly service from the very family that owns it. Even had an Impossible Burger on the menu for those who require. We'll for sure be back! — Andrew

Great food and fantastic service. The owner went out of his way to make me feel long a long time regular even though it was my first time. Aside from the fantastic Q, personally loved the awesome nachos, collared greens, and mac & cheese. Looking forward to going back soon to try some more! — Josiah

Great bbq place! It is family owned and the family are all wonderful people. My personal favorites are the Charlotte's mac and cheese and the pulled pork sandwich. It recently opened so definitely check it out if you are in the mood for bbq. — Thomas

I want to keep this short but this restaurant deserves an entire book about them. They have absolutely amazing food and the hospitality is absolutely Incredible I love this place and will be coming here for so long. — Daniel

Words cannot describe the genuine hospitality you will receive at this place. If you want to support local, go to Blues. They are a family run business (working so incredibly hard, even the kids!) and will do absolutely anything to make sure that their customers are satisfied with their experience. The food is phenomenal, I have tried the majority of the menu myself and every single item tops any other southern cooking I've had. You won't be disappointed. Walking out of here with a smile and a full belly is guaranteed. If you can't decide where to eat, go here. You'll be back. — Ellie

Fantastic restaurant with amazing pulled pork and live music. Owner is super nice too. Overall a really cool place, definitely recommend. — Caroline

Finally, some incredible bbq and southern food in downtown chapel hill besides mama dips. It's right in front of He's Not and beside FedEx. The Smoked Tips are amazing as is the Farmaggedin -- two many items to list in it. Sat outside in a garden and people watched for 2 hours. Cool place. — Stephen

Wow. I love this place. The barbecue is so tender it melts in my mouth. I get the smoked tips and they are so delicious. I want more of blues bbq. — Jonathan

Very friendly staff, great outdoor seating and ambiance. Unfortunately no live music while we were there but would love to come back for it next time! I had the pulled pork plate which was very tasty. The collard greens side was also good... not drenched in oil like most places do it. For dessert, gotta try the cinnamon donut holes with vanilla ice cream. Yeeeaaahawr — Shauna

I have been here several times and no doubt it will become a Chapel Hill classic. Great food, especially matched with some drinks, great environment and the best service. I'm definitely becoming a regular!

Awesome new BBQ spot right in the middle of Chapel Hill. Staff was friendly and welcoming, and the food was incredible. We got mild wings and a pulled pork plate. The wings were very juicy and had a distinct smokey flavor. The pork was incredibly tender and tasted as if it had come right out of the smoker. The cole slaw was a bit dry and plain, but this was the only food item that we did not love. Will definitely be coming here again. — Matthew

The service is good, atmosphere is perfect and comfortable, and the food......wear your pants with the elastic waist! Enjoy! — Allison

Had the BBQ burrito, very yummy. You get a ton of food, so come with an empty stomach! Donut holes topped off a great meal. Very nice staff as well! Will be returning soon. — Red

The Boss Hog Burger was one of the best burgers I have EVER had 10/10 would recommend! The owner was very sweet and welcoming! Very friendly family owned business, will be coming back for sure! Love seeing new places come back to Franklin street. — Elizabeth