Rick's NC BBQ is the real deal, After multiple attempts at…read morefinding NC Eastern style Q in the New Bern area we finally went to Rick's in Oriental. This is now our go to BBQ restaurant. Whether you like pulled pork, fried chicken or brisket this is the one. The quality of the BBQ and attentive service is spot on. Thanks Rick for coming to Oriental.

Every time I go to Ricks I realized I waited too long into between trips! The pulled pork is always…read morefantastic and he serves great sauces with it. I think it's the best friend chicken around, and I'm a fan of the potato wedges, and enjoy dipping them in the bbq sauce. They are always wonderfully friendly, and Mr. Rick does a great job giving awesome service. Definitely try them out if you haven't yet.

Everything is delicious. The fried flounder, fried shrimp and fried soft shell crabs are almost as…read moregood as the fresh fried seafood of the coast. The fried chicken is also good. The service is outstanding.

Collard greens were bad so was the mac & cheese, which was just way too soupy. Order the barbecue…read moreand dark chicken plate. The chicken was good, but the barbecue was not good. All of the sauces were bad. The sweet and the hot were both really runny. The Carolina one was acceptable. All of the food was lukewarm at best. The service was fine and the people were nice, but the food would leave something to be desired. Will not be eating here again.

This is a wonderful dine-in smokehouse with top shelf eastern NC vinegar style BBQ sauce. The…read moremacaroni and cheese is the best I've ever had and very good brisket. Lots of room and and very nice service staff.

We have been here a few times and love it! The staff is nice and the food is great!…read moreMy husband says it's the best fried chicken he has ever had!

Ok we didn't go in, we kept calling but no one answered the phone so we called the other location…read more They said yes they are open. I was after two specific things they say they offer so I asked about them before making the drive out. The person on the phone indicated they had not offered either item since before COVID. I asked why the menus still indicated they had them and he said they just had never gotten around to updating anything. COVID was years ago now. That made me question how well they were doing other things with no reviews in a long time. Then on another site someone complained when they came they were being disrespectful to the flag (I did not see it, just read about it), but we live in Navy and Marine territory and I found it disrespectful to the people they want as customers and to whom I very much respect. The great reviews were from 1-2 years ago and then nothing. Which makes me wonder why?

Another fantastic meal at Backroads Smokehouse. This off the beaten path spot is 100% with the…read moredrive. I always get great size portions, quality food and excellent service. Some of the best smoked meats in eastern NC.

Fly from Miami to Raleigh-Durham with the primary goal of visiting a barbecue joint that's a…read morethree-hour round-trip drive away, located in a small town with virtually nothing else to see, and you'll understand how I view food experiences. There was a very real risk of wasting an entire day. Thankfully, Skylight Inn delivered in a big way. First, this is the kind of place that attracts everyone: police officers, construction workers, families, businesspeople in suits, and that's just on a weekday. That's always a good sign and something I love to see. Their whole hog Eastern North Carolina barbecue was absolutely worth the effort. It was incredibly flavorful and packed with texture. The crispy skin is expertly mixed throughout the meat, alongside moist pork and just enough rendered fat to create a perfect balance. Every bite had something different going on. The sweet tea was excellent, the slaw was solid, and the picnic-style potato salad hit the spot. The cornbread, however, deserves special mention. Unlike what most people think of as cornbread today, Skylight's version is made with only stone-ground cornmeal, water, salt, and pork drippings. It's dense, chewy, and rustic. No wheat flour, no sugar, and no fluffy crumb. It may not be everyone's favorite, but it's a fascinating piece of barbecue history, and I respect that they're still making it the traditional way. I came. I saw. I ate. Then I bought three pounds to go and grabbed a T-shirt on my way out. That's about as strong an endorsement as I can give. PS.....Walking the grounds is fun as well.

I'm from out of town and my son who lives in Raleigh really wanted me to go here so we drove almost…read morean hr and a half to go here, and I'm so glad we did. It was a Thursday and very busy but no so busy we had to wait very long. Just good to see all kind of people really for some BBQ. The food was fantastic and I loved the sides. I'm a big Cole slaw fan and this was very finely shopped up slaw with amazing flavor. They leave the crispy skin in the pork to give you these little yummy surprises as you eat. Plenty of room in the dinning area and a covered outdoor picnic table area.

We were greeted with smiles and a warm welcome. The bbq was amazing!! We had the pork sandwich with…read moreslaw and half bbq chicken plate. The chicken was super moist and the sandwich was delicious. The banana pudding was the BEST we have ever had!!!

Excellent NC style BBQ. we had full slab of ribs and pound of chopped pork. I had never tried…read morethe vinegar style sauce which was good. Home style cooking. Most highly recommended. About 40 minutes off I95.

We had a pleasant weekday lunch at the Silos. The menu is fairly standard fare; I had a hamburger…read moreand my dining companion tried the Reuben. My hamburger was good, but was served almost past well done despite requesting it cooked to medium. The Reuben was excellent. We both tried the fries, extra crispy. They arrived hot and were very tasty. The interior of the restaurant is definitely on the quirky side. The restaurant is, after all, built from two grain silos. I thought it added to the experience. Service was excellent. Our server was personable, helpful, and extremely prompt. She is responsible for earning the fourth star in this review.

Once again, Yelp, where is my review? Since you keep deleting them, I will repost, but shorter…read more The food was okay, some of it seemed premade, like it had come from Sam's Club and been reheated. My pizza was good, fresh, and well-made. I had a hard time not devouring the whole thing, but I managed to take some of it home. Our waiter seemed to be running the whole place alone and covering the bar. Still, he hustled around and took good care of everyone. Our seating area was upstairs; note that there is no elevator. There is a little stage for bands, but since we were there during the day, no one was performing.

First timer at this food truck. Worth every penny and reasonably priced pennie's too! Aimee had the…read morepulled chicken barbecue platter and I enjoyed a pulled barbecue platter. My two sides were baked macaroni and loaded baked beans. True smiling, greeting face at the window was very welcoming..

Carolina barbecue with that classic comfort food flavor--plus a unique twist you won't find…read moreanywhere else. The baked beans are a delicious mystery; they won't reveal the recipe, but the smoky sweetness is unforgettable. The BBQ Chicken Sandwich strikes the perfect balance--rich sauce that enhances, never overwhelms, the tender meat. Family-owned and operated, this spot is ideal for any event

Food is outstanding Great portion for the price…read moreFriendly staff I live in the area and recommend it to all my customers best barbecue on the beach

Tbh I didn't want to go here one bit, I wanted seafood, shrimp, cocktails the beach stuff. Boy was…read moreI wrong. This place is pretty good and affordable too! 3 meat platter for $20 not too bad for a vacation area. Big portions too. Heard the fried chicken was the best here too, I didn't want it, I got it and damn... it was good. Service was good, wish it was a little less boring but looks aren't everything. Would go back

This place is the bomb. Be sure to bring cash. The food is super, served quickly and never too…read morecrowded.

So my wife and I were on a trip to Florida and passed through central NC. We were hungry and I knew…read morethere should be some bbq joints on our way. We googled around and found this place. Very old school NC bbq. We had pulled pork and beans Cole slaw and cornbread. Great combo for like $9 cash! They also had brisket and ribs. Definitely worth a try if you're in the area.