This Moe’s Original BBQ “Tailgate Wherever You Are” Review is sponsored.

If you guys know us, you know we usually host Football Sunday every weekend in our garage-turned-home-theater. We project football games on one of our garage walls and roll out our grill to homegate.

Because homegating is a lot more fun than tailgating.

And this year, you actually can’t really tailgate in the stadium’s parking lots like usual. So many stadiums aren’t even allowing in person attendance. But you still want to root on your favorite team.

And that starts with good food. Because if you don’t fill your stomach before game time, well, you might not make it through halftime.

Moe’s Original BBQ gets it. And to make this season feel a little more normal, Moe’s has launched “Tailgate Wherever You Are” to encourage people to pick up food at Moe’s and enjoy it while homegating.

Challenge accepted.

Moe’s Original BBQ “Tailgate Wherever You Are” Review

We live within driving distance of the Moe’s Original BBQ in Wilmington, NC, so our Moe’s Original BBQ “Tailgate Wherever You Are” Review is based on that location.

Since “Tailgate Wherever You Are” is more of a concept than a promotion, there’s not a set menu for it.

So, we picked a variety of items to grab for our most recent homegate.

We had to start with pork rinds. They’re the perfect snack to munch on during the game. And these ones were delicious. They have a really great crunch to them and aren’t greasy at all. Before I knew it, we all inhaled the box I brought home.

We started the actual homegate with a Double Wide Pack. That comes with a pound of meat (you can choose from pork, turkey, or chicken, but we went with pulled pork), two pint sides, buns, or cornbread.

We got collard greens and potato salad as our sides. The collard greens were a big hit at our homegate. They’re a little spicy from the smoked sausage. And have a little extra smoke thanks to the bacon.

The pulled pork was delicious. It pulled apart so perfectly and there weren’t any chewy bits in it that sometimes come with pulled pork. Pulled pork is so good warm or cold, so if you have to drive a bit to get from Moe’s Original BBQ to your tailgate, this will travel well.

I topped it with a healthy amount of Moe’s BBQ sauce (one of four sauces the restaurant offers), and I can’t wait to use the remaining sauce to make something tasty at home.

Speaking of pulling apart perfectly, can we talk about the wings for a minute? You can order wings by the half dozen or in a pack of 40, and I suggest you do. My trouble with wings is that even though I like them, I really hate the act of eating wings. Like holding them with two hands, bringing them to your mouth, really needing to get in there to get all the meat off.

No thanks.

But the wings at Moe’s Original BBQ are perfect for me. The meat pulls off cleanly from the bone (even if you’re using fingers to pull) and this is exactly what I want — but almost never get — from an order of wings.

When you get a good rack of ribs, the meat pulls apart from the bone like this as well. So now I’m super bummed we didn’t order Moe’s Original BBQ’s ribs for our tailgate.

We definitely will next time.

But, back to the wings.

The wings are coated in a wing sauce, which was delicious. They’re served with an Alabama style white BBQ sauce, but (if I’m being truthful), no one from our homegate even tried the sauce. Our half dozen wings tasted perfect without it.

Two things about Moe’s Original BBQ made me sad.

The first was that even though I took photos of the Boudin balls — which are basically an Alabama arancini (pulled pork, rice, and herbs breaded in Panko and deep fried) — while I was waiting for my to go order, I didn’t actually take any home.

The second part that made me sad was that I will never make a cornbread as good as the one at Moe’s Original BBQ. The cornbread is baked with the perfect amount of jalapenos, then each slice is pan fried with butter, giving it the perfect texture on the outside while still being soft on the inside.

Does Moe’s Original BBQ have pescatarian options?

In the south, barbecue is synonymous with pulled pork. Seriously. If someone invites you over for barbecue, don’t look for hot dogs and hamburgers. Expect pulled pork.

But, if you’re going to a barbecue restaurant, there are going to be a ton of other proteins like ribs, smoked turkey, etc.

What about for pescatarians?

Moe’s Original BBQ has a ton of options for pescatarians. For sandwiches, there is the Southern Fried Shrimp Moe Boy, Southern Fried Catfish, and Blackened Mahi. You can also get those same three proteins as a platter. The potato salad is a meatless side dish.

Pete had the shrimp sandwich during our homegate. That wasn’t something that we could split between multiple people, so he had it himself. It’s fried shrimp, tartar sauce, slaw, and pickles on a toasted bun. He really liked it.

The sandwiches at Moe’s Original BBQ are served with two sides, so if you are looking for pescatarian-friendly sides to go with your shrimp sandwich, potato salad and mac and cheese are good choices, especially since although the marinated slaw is pescatarian-approved, you’re already getting some on your sandwich. So try something else.

Does Moe’s Original BBQ have vegan options?

Yes and no. Moe’s Original BBQ is a chain, so the menus at various locations will differ. At the Moe’s Original BBQ in Denver and Englewood, CO, you can order a smoked tofu sandwich. If you remove the white barbecue sauce, it’s a vegan sandwich.

There are also salads that you can make vegan by removing the vinaigrette and bacon and cheese. The marinated slaw is also vegan.

Does Moe’s Original BBQ have vegetarian options?

There are a lot more vegetarian options at Moe’s Original BBQ than vegan options, and you should be able to find these at most locations.

The salads are vegetarian, as long as you remove the bacon from the large salad. The potato salad, marinated slaw, cornbread, and mac and cheese are all vegetarian options.

Some locations have Moe’s Nachos on the menu, and those are vegetarian. The fried pickles and hush puppies are vegetarian too.

The kids menu has a grilled cheese on it, which is vegetarian.

And, for dessert, the banana pudding is vegetarian.

Does Moe’s Original BBQ have gluten-free options?

If you need gluten-free options, Moe’s Original BBQ does have some options for you.

The salads, baked beans, and marinated slaw are all gluten free. All the meats, with the exception of anything fried, are gluten free as well. Just keep in mind that the meat does come with cornbread, so if you’re really sensitive, you want to ask them to not include the cornbread with your meal.

All of the sauces are gluten free as well.

Just keep in mind that there’s not a separate kitchen to prepare gluten-free items, so if you’re worried about cross contamination, you should call ahead and speak to someone about your level of comfortability.

Does Moe’s Original BBQ serve alcohol?

I can’t speak for all Moe’s Original BBQ locations, but the Moe’s Original BBQ in Wilmington, NC does serve alcohol. There’s a full bar with canned beer, drafts, and more.

The highlight, though, is the Bushwacker, an adult milkshake. Ice cream, rum, coffee liquor, ice, and chocolate syrup are combined and served with a cherry on top.

You can’t take the Bushwacker to go, but, if you’re 21 or over, you can order it while you’re waiting for your food.

Does Moe’s Original BBQ have catering?

I can only base this on the Wilmington, NC location, but yes, Moe’s Original BBQ has catering. There are three options: “The Picnic Pick Up,” which you have to pick up, “The Drop,” which will be dropped off at your location, and “The Full Moe’s Experience,” which is a buffet meal that is professionally served.

Where is Moe’s Original BBQ located?

There are a ton of Moe’s Original BBQ locations. The most are in Alabama, where the barbecue chain was started. Then, there are locations in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wyoming. There’s also an international location in Mexico City.

You can see all the Moe’s Original BBQ locations here. Click on each to see more about that specific location and its menu.

Want more barbecue in North Carolina?

If you want to try more barbecue when you’re in North Carolina, we also really like Rib Country BBQ in Murphy, NC.

Have you been to Moe’s Original BBQ for “Tailgate Wherever You Are”? Leave us a comment to let us know.