Ten Best Eastern North Carolina Barbecue Places 2023

I did my first Ten Best list last year after being outraged by a Yelp-based list that had intruded on my consciousness. I adopted a policy of ignoring best lists other than those by Daniel Vaughn, Robert Moss, and the Barbecue Bros. If there are others, I haven’t heard of them. The Yelp list was so bad is spurred me to action.

Now it’s time to update the list. To be clear, I’m rating these places solely on their pork, which is what Eastern North Carolina is all about. Some of the places cook other meats, and I’m happy to recommend the barbecued chicken at B’s and Stephenson’s. Old Colony, Sam Jones, and Wilber’s also offer brisket, an invasive species, but I don’t hold that against them. This is about the pork. And the vinegar-pepper sauce.

That’s not to say that there aren’t other delights. The fried chicken is often sensational — you can see some of Wilber’s below, and the hushpuppies of North Carolina outshine those of any other state. You have to try the lard-based cornbread at the Skylight Inn and also at Bum’s, where you can get corn sticks, too. Eastern North Carolina seems bereft of turnip greens, but the heirloom collards at Bum’s are ethereal, and the chicken pastry at Wilber’s is worth the trip.

And, of course, there’s slaw. The barbecue tray at the Skylight Inn, with pork, slaw, and a plank of cornbread, is the iconic North Carolina dish. As with hushpuppies, North Carolina is without peer when it comes to slaw, white, yellow, or red.

One last word is about atmosphere. It’s not a factor in the rankings but it can be part of the experience. It’s hard to beat B’s and Grady’s, and you flat cannot beat the table at Southern Smoke, shown below. And it’s hard to imagine getting better service than from Tara at Wilber’s, sweeter people than the Gradys, or a more remarkable experience than at Sid’s.

These are the Top 10, but my favorite tends to be the one at which I’ve eaten most recently. I will say that the big square of skin at Sid’s is a huge — I mean huge — plus, as is the skin chopped and mixed into the pork at Bum’s and Skylight. But then I’d go eat at Stephenson’s and think … So I’m presenting them in alphabetical order. You can read about each at the red link, and learn some of the additional things that make each special.

Here they are:

B’s Barbecue in Greenville.

Bum’s Restaurant in Ayden

Grady’s BBQ in Dudley, more or less.

Old Colony Smokehouse in Edenton

Sam Jones BBQ in Winterville

Sid’s Catering in Beullaville

The Skylight Inn in Ayden

Southern Smoke BBQ in Garland

Stephenson’s Bar-B-Q in Willow Springs

Wilber’s BBQ in Goldsboro

There they are. I feel bad about leaving out Oakwood BBQ in Richland and Martelle’s Feed House in Englehard, both of which may make the list next year if any of the ten slip, or if I go again and can concentrate on the food without the distraction of good company.

What places did I miss, and why are they better than one or more of these? Each of these places has wonderful pork, and is well worth a detour. Note that four of the top 10 are in Pitt County. Plan a trip to Greenville now. You especially want to be there for these events. But definitely go to all of them — all 12. You’ll be shocked at how low the prices are, and you’ll have a delicious meal and a memory to cherish.

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