February 21, 2025
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Mystery Diner: Niel & Shorty’s BBQ Co. is the go-to place for barbecue in Princeton

Plenty of sides to choose from to go with BBQ

Niel and Shorty's BBQ Co. is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday through Saturday for lunch and from 4 to 8 p.m. for dinner on South Main Street in Princeton.

While its name may be Niel & Shorty’s, there is no shortage of tasty barbecue items on their menu.

Niel & Shorty’s BBQ Co. is the go-to place for barbecue on South Main in Princeton. They offer a full menu featuring sandwiches, burgers, smoked barbecue plates, baby back ribs, chicken and seafood.

They are currently open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday through Saturday for lunch and 4 to 8 p.m. for dinner. Niel & Shorty’s also can supply their smoked meats and homemade sides for any parties or gatherings. Call 815-303-NIEL (6435) for pricing.

While Niel & Shorty’s is offering dine-in service, we opted for carryout, helped by their friendly staff. And my party of five was not disappointed.

We all have our old standbys when we go to Niel & Shorty’s.

For me, it’s a combination plate of pulled pork and turkey with sides of baked beans (you’ve got to get baked beans when you have barbecue) and potato salad. It was delicious as always.

This is a combination plate of BBQ pulled pork and turkey with sides of baked beans and potato salad from Niel and Shorty's.

One person in my party ordered a combination plate of pulled pork and brisket with sides of baked beans and potato salad.

This is a combination plate of BBQ pulled pork and beef brisket with sides of baked beans and potato salad from Niel and Shorty's.

Another order was for a brisket plate with the popular Niel & Shorty’s sweet potato waffle fries and potato salad.

This is a plate of BBQ beef brisket with sides of sweet potato waffle fries and potato salad from Niel and Shorty's.

Two people in my group both ordered a pulled pork plate with sides of taffy apple salad and sweet potato waffle fries.

This is a combination plate of BBQ pulled pork with sides of sweet potato waffle fries and taffy apple salad from Niel and Shorty's.

Each of the smoked barbecue plates costs $12.95.

We also ordered some sweet corn nuggets ($6.95) for an appetizer, and as its name implies, the nuggets were “sweet” tasting.

Several other options are available for appetizers, ranging from $2.95 to $7.95, including corkscrew shrimp, fresh homemade seasoned pork rinds, homemade chip basket, pickle fries, fried okra, “Shorty’s loaded skins,” “twigs and berries” (mozzarella sticks and battered cheese curds) and spicy cauliflower.

They serve ample portions, so most of us had enough leftovers for lunch the next day.

Total bill for our party of five was $77.50.

This trip has whetted our appetite for more Niel & Shorty’s.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Niel & Shorty’s BBQ Co.

WHERE: 646 Main St., Princeton

PHONE: 815-303-6435

INFORMATION: nielandshortys.com

• The Mystery Diner is an employee at Shaw Media. The diner’s identity is not revealed to restaurant staff when ordering or picking up the food. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a story.