Excellent place to go with family or friends. Great deal and Great food, everyone has to experience Dukes at least once a month.
(5)
Jo L.
I know, I know, everyone raves about this place but Im just not on the same page. I found the food bland, at best. I have had better bbq pretty much everywhere else ive ever eaten bbq. Not for the discerning palate.
(3)
L B.
Between the fall-off-the-bone ribs, fried okra, sweet potato mashed and fried chicken it was hard to pick a favorite. Absolutely fantastic BBQ. Hash over rice wasn't bad either. The best $10 spent all week. We drove a while to get here and it was totally worth it. Next time we're in town we will come again.
(5)
Jeff M.
I've been to most of the BBQ places in my neck of SC. Duke's is definitely the best (not Carolina BBQ, as Southern Living will tell you). The buffet is $10. The buffet is full of all kinds of amazing sides: hush puppies, corn fritters, collards, rutabagas, rice, hash, macaroni and cheese, fried okra, sweet potato, coleslaw, etc. There are ribs (RIBS!) on the buffet as well. The pork is delicious. Three sauces are available: mustard, mild (mustard based), and pepper. The mild is my favorite: Orange, sweet, tangy. I love to get it in a cup and pour it over the meat. Desserts include peach cobbler and banana pudding.
(5)
Mark C.
Go for the food folks. The cold slaw is spot on, not too sweet, and not pulverized into that strange sawdust texture I've encountered before . Their potato salad with some dill pickles and sprinkling of pepper was also really good. The fried okra was "go back for that 3rd serving" good as was the pulled pork w/o any sauces. Never tried any of their sauces actually. The ribs are served with some BBQ sauce on them. Well these babies were luscious and meaty and proved to be bone suckin' fine! Rutabagas corn nuggets and the stewed apples were okay. For $10, at all you can eat, I don't have the heart to P&M about the decor. Simply a friendly place with allot of earned devoted following,for a reason - or two, or three, or four perhaps.
(4)
Hetal P.
A friend of mine and I recently went on a BBQ tour of the CSRA. One of our stops was Dukes. And let me say, it was...OK. Probably my least favorite of the 8 or 9 places we tried, but nevertheless not terrible. The ambiance is interesting, it feels a bit like a restaurant straight out of the 1950's. The gentleman(perhaps Duke?) was very friendly, as were the other employees. The place was clean. The food was...Ok. Not great, it felt a bit dry, a bit tough. I expect bbq to be moist and a bit juicy, this was not it. The BBQ sauce we were provided was good, but overall, if I was in New Ellenton and wanted BBQ, I would definitely go to Carolina Bar-B-Que instead.
(2)
Bobbie R.
I dined at Dukes restaurant and I can say that I truly enjoyed it. I enjoyed the country atmosphere which was very friendly. The long tables which were obviously intended for families and lots of friends were kept sparkling clean. The barbeque ribs that I had heard so much about were finger licking good. The meat was so tender and flavorable. I enjoyed the potato salad and collard greens as well but I was especially impressed with the great big pan of peach cobbler. I did enjoy my meal there and I will return with family and friends
I like Southern food and should have stuck with that rather than an import from the Midwest which did not translate well. I was dragged here for a wedding reception so I did not have a lot of choice but I will never think of the relative who chose this place in the same way again. I could not tell what was what. It literally all looked like dog food. No, that's unfair. I have seen much better looking dog food and dog food which smelled better. Troughs of substance which looked days old greeted us. The display made me long for food I had in Calcutta. At least there I was able to get spicy lentils and feel relatively safe. I sat with other relatives who were also looking over the offerings and wondering. We had our conversation come around ultimately to "What is that?" and the inevitable answer of "I have no idea." A relative who lives in the area told me later that this was undoubtedly the worst food he had ever eaten. Hey, I could have gone for a bowl of grits with a pat of butter melting into rivers over it and a big spoonful of huckleberry jam on top. I longed for that while held captive at Duke's. I can't in any way compare the food at Duke's to anything from Kansas City. In KC they throw out stuff that looks better. This is a plant out of place. Bring on the fried okra, grits, fried chicken, butter beans and cornbread and leave this stuff alone.
(1)
Jason H.
For me, this place was simply unremarkable. We show up and see the parking lot packed, people standing around outside, and people migrating toward the door. All good signs. It was not to be. Once inside we were greeted with a series of picnic tables, that is family-style seating. It normally doesn't bother me too much, but this is an all-you-can eat, low-cost buffet. This seating arrangement just doesn't appeal to me. The buffet had a bit of everything. Mashed potatoes, corn fritters, corn, baked beans with chopped hot dogs (they tasted just like canned beans), green beans, greens, fried okra, bbq and fried chicken, ribs (for an extra dollar on top of the regular $9 buffet price--these were tough as leather shoelaces!), pulled pork, potato salad, coleslaw, and quite a few other things. Dessert was peach cobbler and they had a soft-serve ice cream machine. The cobbler was made with canned peaches, and the ice cream came out of the machine looking like a milkshake. I'm not normally so picky, but I couldn't finish my dessert. Most of the items in the buffet just weren't worth a second pass. I did go back for more pulled pork, but trying to find the right sauce was daunting. There were several selections, and my first was the spicy red sauce. Squirting that into a condiment cup, I had to take a second look because I thought I had mistakenly put ketchup in there. I also tried some of the mustard, pepper, and vinegar-based sauces. I just couldn't find anything I liked. There were a few other sauces that I didn't try; just too many to choose from.
(1)
Jacki C.
Great food, and even better prices....Its gets a little busy around the lunch hour but worth the wait. They have really good sweet potato casserole. Buffet style..I will be back if I'm ever in the area again!!
(4)
Lisa P.
GO HERE NOW. I make my parents take me every time I'm home... it's so predictable that they call and we plan it into my trip every time. They have delicious pork, and I've never had any of the chicken, but my Mom always gets it and swears by it. My usual plate includes pork, green beans, broccoli casserole, squash, corn fritters, fried okra, maybe a little mac n cheese, and a hush puppy thrown on top :) Add Carolina BBQ sauce (mustard-based), and you have the most beautiful plate ever. Then it's time for dessert. My parents and I make room for it no matter how much we just ate - peach cobbler and soft serve ice cream. There is seriously nothing better. Even my "I don't like peaches" boyfriend tried it, and he couldn't explain why he liked it so much. It is the most fantastic thing in the entire world after you just ate all of this artery clogging goodness. This is why I only eat here about 6x a year, but I make the most of it. It's southern, family cooking at its best. They clearly don't spend their money on overhead :) But as long as they don't change the food, I'll eat at picnic tables with strangers every time. Just consider it part of the experience.
(5)
eat o.
This is a serious buffet. If you are on a diet, then keep walking. You will not be able to muster the willpower necessary to survive this place. Great homecooking with lots of Southern staples--peas, rice, cobbler, banana pudding, pulled pork, fried chicken, greens, hash, squash, corn fritters, etc. I only gave them four stars because the pulled pork was the only barbecue on the buffet the day we were there. No ribs or chicken--just pork. Very good pork, though. Several different sauces (Carolina style mustard sauce, red sauce, etc.) and bins of white bread to sop it all up with. Did I mention this is not a place for a dieter? They are only open a few days a week at the weekend, so call ahead to make sure they are open. Very casual atmosphere, but really delicious food. I am still full and ate there nearly a week ago!
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : No Caters : Yes
Alex G.
Excellent place to go with family or friends. Great deal and Great food, everyone has to experience Dukes at least once a month.
(5)Jo L.
I know, I know, everyone raves about this place but Im just not on the same page. I found the food bland, at best. I have had better bbq pretty much everywhere else ive ever eaten bbq. Not for the discerning palate.
(3)L B.
Between the fall-off-the-bone ribs, fried okra, sweet potato mashed and fried chicken it was hard to pick a favorite. Absolutely fantastic BBQ. Hash over rice wasn't bad either. The best $10 spent all week. We drove a while to get here and it was totally worth it. Next time we're in town we will come again.
(5)Jeff M.
I've been to most of the BBQ places in my neck of SC. Duke's is definitely the best (not Carolina BBQ, as Southern Living will tell you). The buffet is $10. The buffet is full of all kinds of amazing sides: hush puppies, corn fritters, collards, rutabagas, rice, hash, macaroni and cheese, fried okra, sweet potato, coleslaw, etc. There are ribs (RIBS!) on the buffet as well. The pork is delicious. Three sauces are available: mustard, mild (mustard based), and pepper. The mild is my favorite: Orange, sweet, tangy. I love to get it in a cup and pour it over the meat. Desserts include peach cobbler and banana pudding.
(5)Mark C.
Go for the food folks. The cold slaw is spot on, not too sweet, and not pulverized into that strange sawdust texture I've encountered before . Their potato salad with some dill pickles and sprinkling of pepper was also really good. The fried okra was "go back for that 3rd serving" good as was the pulled pork w/o any sauces. Never tried any of their sauces actually. The ribs are served with some BBQ sauce on them. Well these babies were luscious and meaty and proved to be bone suckin' fine! Rutabagas corn nuggets and the stewed apples were okay. For $10, at all you can eat, I don't have the heart to P&M about the decor. Simply a friendly place with allot of earned devoted following,for a reason - or two, or three, or four perhaps.
(4)Hetal P.
A friend of mine and I recently went on a BBQ tour of the CSRA. One of our stops was Dukes. And let me say, it was...OK. Probably my least favorite of the 8 or 9 places we tried, but nevertheless not terrible. The ambiance is interesting, it feels a bit like a restaurant straight out of the 1950's. The gentleman(perhaps Duke?) was very friendly, as were the other employees. The place was clean. The food was...Ok. Not great, it felt a bit dry, a bit tough. I expect bbq to be moist and a bit juicy, this was not it. The BBQ sauce we were provided was good, but overall, if I was in New Ellenton and wanted BBQ, I would definitely go to Carolina Bar-B-Que instead.
(2)Bobbie R.
I dined at Dukes restaurant and I can say that I truly enjoyed it. I enjoyed the country atmosphere which was very friendly. The long tables which were obviously intended for families and lots of friends were kept sparkling clean. The barbeque ribs that I had heard so much about were finger licking good. The meat was so tender and flavorable. I enjoyed the potato salad and collard greens as well but I was especially impressed with the great big pan of peach cobbler. I did enjoy my meal there and I will return with family and friends
(5)Michael R.
Duke's is one of those places best described as a "joint;" there's nothing fancy about it, whether décor or food, but it's incredibly good. It's described as a barbecue place, but I would describe it more as a Southern buffet with a couple of barbecue dishes. The only real barbecue they had was pulled pork, which is very good, and ribs, which were decent. The best thing about the place, though, are the sides. This is a real Southern down-home cooking place, the kind of food your grandma (well, I don't know about YOUR grandma, but MY grandma) cooked: sweet potato casserole (with marshmallows on top, of course), squash casserole, fried okra, fried chicken, fried cabbage (do you sense a theme?), greens, and so forth. I can practically feel my arteries hardening just writing about it, but it's worth it.
(4)Juan H.
I like Southern food and should have stuck with that rather than an import from the Midwest which did not translate well. I was dragged here for a wedding reception so I did not have a lot of choice but I will never think of the relative who chose this place in the same way again. I could not tell what was what. It literally all looked like dog food. No, that's unfair. I have seen much better looking dog food and dog food which smelled better. Troughs of substance which looked days old greeted us. The display made me long for food I had in Calcutta. At least there I was able to get spicy lentils and feel relatively safe. I sat with other relatives who were also looking over the offerings and wondering. We had our conversation come around ultimately to "What is that?" and the inevitable answer of "I have no idea." A relative who lives in the area told me later that this was undoubtedly the worst food he had ever eaten. Hey, I could have gone for a bowl of grits with a pat of butter melting into rivers over it and a big spoonful of huckleberry jam on top. I longed for that while held captive at Duke's. I can't in any way compare the food at Duke's to anything from Kansas City. In KC they throw out stuff that looks better. This is a plant out of place. Bring on the fried okra, grits, fried chicken, butter beans and cornbread and leave this stuff alone.
(1)Jason H.
For me, this place was simply unremarkable. We show up and see the parking lot packed, people standing around outside, and people migrating toward the door. All good signs. It was not to be. Once inside we were greeted with a series of picnic tables, that is family-style seating. It normally doesn't bother me too much, but this is an all-you-can eat, low-cost buffet. This seating arrangement just doesn't appeal to me. The buffet had a bit of everything. Mashed potatoes, corn fritters, corn, baked beans with chopped hot dogs (they tasted just like canned beans), green beans, greens, fried okra, bbq and fried chicken, ribs (for an extra dollar on top of the regular $9 buffet price--these were tough as leather shoelaces!), pulled pork, potato salad, coleslaw, and quite a few other things. Dessert was peach cobbler and they had a soft-serve ice cream machine. The cobbler was made with canned peaches, and the ice cream came out of the machine looking like a milkshake. I'm not normally so picky, but I couldn't finish my dessert. Most of the items in the buffet just weren't worth a second pass. I did go back for more pulled pork, but trying to find the right sauce was daunting. There were several selections, and my first was the spicy red sauce. Squirting that into a condiment cup, I had to take a second look because I thought I had mistakenly put ketchup in there. I also tried some of the mustard, pepper, and vinegar-based sauces. I just couldn't find anything I liked. There were a few other sauces that I didn't try; just too many to choose from.
(1)Jacki C.
Great food, and even better prices....Its gets a little busy around the lunch hour but worth the wait. They have really good sweet potato casserole. Buffet style..I will be back if I'm ever in the area again!!
(4)Lisa P.
GO HERE NOW. I make my parents take me every time I'm home... it's so predictable that they call and we plan it into my trip every time. They have delicious pork, and I've never had any of the chicken, but my Mom always gets it and swears by it. My usual plate includes pork, green beans, broccoli casserole, squash, corn fritters, fried okra, maybe a little mac n cheese, and a hush puppy thrown on top :) Add Carolina BBQ sauce (mustard-based), and you have the most beautiful plate ever. Then it's time for dessert. My parents and I make room for it no matter how much we just ate - peach cobbler and soft serve ice cream. There is seriously nothing better. Even my "I don't like peaches" boyfriend tried it, and he couldn't explain why he liked it so much. It is the most fantastic thing in the entire world after you just ate all of this artery clogging goodness. This is why I only eat here about 6x a year, but I make the most of it. It's southern, family cooking at its best. They clearly don't spend their money on overhead :) But as long as they don't change the food, I'll eat at picnic tables with strangers every time. Just consider it part of the experience.
(5)eat o.
This is a serious buffet. If you are on a diet, then keep walking. You will not be able to muster the willpower necessary to survive this place. Great homecooking with lots of Southern staples--peas, rice, cobbler, banana pudding, pulled pork, fried chicken, greens, hash, squash, corn fritters, etc. I only gave them four stars because the pulled pork was the only barbecue on the buffet the day we were there. No ribs or chicken--just pork. Very good pork, though. Several different sauces (Carolina style mustard sauce, red sauce, etc.) and bins of white bread to sop it all up with. Did I mention this is not a place for a dieter? They are only open a few days a week at the weekend, so call ahead to make sure they are open. Very casual atmosphere, but really delicious food. I am still full and ate there nearly a week ago!
(4)