Wilber’s BBQ, Goldsboro, North Carolina

Wow! Is Wilber’s better than ever? Let’s see what the experts say.

First, some background about Wilber’s. The barbecue at Wilber’s has long been the stuff of legend. For years it was a regular stop on our way to the beach near Morehead City, both for a second lunch after Parker’s (for me) and for a stop at the farm stand outside for produce (including muscadines!) and boiled peanuts for our stay at the beach. Alas, every silver lining has its cloud, and the virulently anti-barbecue North Carolina Department of Transportation re-routed traffic away from Wilber’s after which Atropos, in the form of the Department of Revenue, snipped the cord and Wilber’s was no more.

For a while. The good people of North Carolina rose up armed not with pitchforks and torches but with checkbooks. After much red tape, Wilber’s reopened in it’s original building at 4172 US-40 in Goldsboro, and I was among the first to go back. I joyfully reported that the new Wilber’s was much like the original. But could they keep it up? I next went with the whole crew, Nancy, Liza, Michael, Ella, and Lily, and we explored some sides that weren’t available in the original Wilber’s – fried okra, chicken pastry, and collard greens. Did they have fried chicken before? They now serve beer but we had a lot of driving to do. The entire family loved it all. It earned Wilber’s a place among my 7 Best Barbecue Meals of 2023 and solidified its regular spot among the Ten Best of Eastern North Carolina.

This visit was different. I was in the company of Eastern North Carolina barbecue experts John Shelton Reed and Allan Parnell, both of whom you met on this trip. The only one who can match their knowledge of barbecue is Dan Levine, who was unable to join us due to a death in the family. John, AKA The Godfather, is the Dean of North Carolina barbecue, eater of many meals and author of many wonderful books and articles on barbecue and the South. By comparison, I’m a neophyte.

Naturally, then, when we entered and saw this

there were expressions of skepticism from John and Allan, while I was so distracted by availability of butter beans that I didn’t even notice that they had gizzards. We sat, the server arrived promptly, and John ordered a barbecue tray with slaw while Allan had a sandwich with slaw. I ordered a pork plate with slaw and butter beans.

The first items to arrive were of course, the hushpuppies, and once again it was impossible to photograph a full order of hushpuppies. Everyone grabs one as soon as they arrive, and even then it’s hard to get a clear shot.

The bowl contains chicken gravy, which Wilber’s added when they noticed customers dipping hushpuppies into the gravy that accompanies their baked chicken.

Here’s my plate. John and Allan’s orders were similar, only smaller.

My reaction was, Yum! This pork is great! These butter beans are terrific! I love this slaw. 

But, as I say, I’m a neophyte, a relative amateur. John and Allan said, “This is great!” “This has some heat.” “This may be the best barbecue in North Carolina.” “This is as good or better than before.” There also was a fair amount of Mmmm-ing and the odd Mmmph. Indeed, we all were so taken by the barbecue that John forgot to order a slice of buttermilk pie, and neither Allan nor I had the presence of mind to remind him.

I stopped to thank Willis Underwood, the organizer of Wilber’s rebirth, whom I’d met on my re-opening visit, and had the pleasure of meeting his son, Willis, Jr., who’s running the place now and doing a wonderful job. Parker Mackie, one of the public-spirited citizens who support the reopening, had asked me to get a t-shirt. I didn’t know her size, of course, and certainly wasn’t going to ask or, God forbid, guess — so I got one in my size. Maybe it’ll fit Mack.  

What else can I say? This is great barbecue. And great butter beans, as well as other great sides. (I love their chicken pastry.) And that’s not just me talking — that’s the experts. You really need to go to Wilber’s. Really. And let me know whether you think the barbecue is better than ever, and if it’s the best in North Carolina. And if you don’t mind, you might try the buttermilk pie and give me a report. On the banana pudding, too.

UPDATE: The buttermilk pie is delicious!

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