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.

Ribs were fine, sauce smoky but plain, salad fresh. Overall acceptable but forgettable, a fair…read morethree-star dinner.

Stopped in after a funeral and was really pleased to have delicious food. I had the ribeye sandwich…read moreit hit the spot and the green beans were great. I cleaned my plate and will definitely be returning. I don't live in the area but I told my sister about it and would love to pick up some cuts of meat sometimes. Good butcher shops are hard to find.

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.

Best barbecue (and carrot cake) in North Carolina. Service is friendly and fast, food is even…read morebetter!

Authentic NC BBQ experience. Small place you can drive right past -- we did! Delicious smokey…read moresmell as soon as you open the car door. Simple menu. We all got pulled pork BBQ sandwich meal. BBQ is just classic NC greatness! Sides were good - like home. Service fast and friendly. We had our food on the table 10 minutes after sitting down. I asked about their smoking process, and the guy at the counter said, "you wanna see it?". YES! Very unique, unimpressive... yet so cool. We will absolutely be back!

Driving from Virginia Beach to North Carolina. Wanted to try eastern Carolina bbq. Had to take a…read moredetour to get here, but it was worth it. As soon as we walked up one the Pitt masters invited us in the back and showed us all the pits. We got to see the "whole hog" on the smoker. Then we ate the Chopped bbq. with a little of both the bbq and the vinegar sauces was good. Collard greens were tasty. But the pitt masters told us he liked the smoked turkey so we had to try it. I'm not a fan of turkey and this was excellent. Super tasty and moist. Only mistake was the cornbread. It's not your typical cornbread. We also had the sweet potato muffin which is a must try.

We love good Carolina BBQ and when in Winterville, decided to try Sam Jones BBQ. Very glad we did…read more The location is clean, bright and fun. Great decor with country antique vibes. You walk right past the giant smokers to go in. Order and pay at the counter and food is delivered to the table. Great choices of sides and several sauces on tables. The good is great and slaw and BBQ was delicious! We're loving our BBQ trek across North Carolina.

It's been a year since my last visit. On a sad note, Mr. Steve Grady, founder, pitmaster, and BBQ…read morelegend, passed last year at the age of 90. His wife and cofounder Gerri has kept the business cooking (pun intended). It's still among the best whole hog BBQ I've ever eaten - and I've eaten a lot. Grady's pork is amazing, especially topped with slaw and their Eastern NC sauce. The sides are incredible. The desserts look wonderful (have never been able to find room, but one of these days...). Prices are reasonable (but be warned: this is a cash-only place). If you're on the way to the beach, go to Grady's. If you're coming back from the beach, go to Grady's. If you're within 100 miles, go to Grady's. Heck, if you're anywhere on the East Coast, go to Grady's. It's that good!

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.

Outstanding barbecue joint here in Wilson. I had the BBQ sandwich value meal, which for just $6.50…read morecomes with a delicious barbecue sandwich with slaw, fries, hushpuppies, and a drink. Great deal! And the barbecue is so good, the sauce is so good. And the staff here are incredibly friendly and kind. I love these locally owned places, and will eat here whenever I am in Wilson. Love me some Carolina barbecue, and Marty's certainly hits the spot. Drive thru looked packed but I dined in and parked in the auxilliary gravel lot. It was pretty packed but I got a table.

Well I still miss Bills Bbq but you will always have Parkers beat in my book. I love that the…read morechicken is done but not overcooked!! Yall sell pastry too thanks and the cobblers are the best. If only we could get a Bills hot dog or burger the secret was the chili! Bbq at Marty's is great too!

There's a line...let me jump in!…read more Yep that's literarily how I found this spot...I was driving back to Charlotte after my half marathon...saw a line, pulled over and stood in the hour long line, happy as a 4 year old with a lollipop with my bag of BBQ. This is a carry out or eat outside spot. The line was long, but they said it was because the chicken wasn't ready. They serve Carolina vinegar based "sauce". This was the most different part for me as I'm from Indiana and have never had vinegar based sauce. All in all it was very good and I completely understand why it has been a community staple.

Things to know before going: 1) Cash only…read more2) Take-out only. There are a few tables outside, though. 3) Get there early, as in 9:30 or 10am. When they sell out, they close. If you wait until normal lunchtime you may very well be out of luck. So, the food. If you don't like Eastern Carolina style vinegar based whole hog bbq you will not like B's. Therefore no complaints about "sour" sauce, "tasteless" boiled potatoes, strange "potato sticks," or lack of sugary sweet tomato sauces will be tolerated. The cue is slow cooked over charcoal. Today the texture was a bit tougher than ideal but the flavor was pretty good and the chicken was very good, moist, tender, and flavorful. The sides are unremarkable but just fine. I'm normally not a big fan of the east of Wilson area corn sticks (give me hush puppies and honey butter any day) but B's are among the better ones. Prices remain more than reasonable and servings are generous.

This restaurant consistently delivers on a great southern meal. The proteins and side dishes taste…read moregreat and the portions are plentiful. The food was cooked to order and served hot. My favorite are the hush puppies (which seemingly come with every meal).

GoldBelly delivery of Kings BBQ. Poorly packaged caused the food to become thawed. So the Pig Out…read moreParty that serves 12 had to eaten in a weekend! The ribs were dry and slightly chewy the cider bbq sauce was just ok. The pulled pork had too much vinegar The hush puppies were dense and doughy Considering the cost, I would never order again

Lovely home style eastern NC style BBQ place!…read more Loved the sweet service and the kind staff who explained menu items we had questions about. The Cole slaw complimented the vinegar style chopped eastern nc style pork. Had fries and the special side of yams for the weekend and both were good! It's not a large place but comfortable and would stop by again if driving through the area!

It was "Burger Wednesday", which is the only day Shaw's makes burgers. On this visit, I ordered…read morethe Barnyard Burger, which includes a generous portion of pulled pork, a fried egg, and grilled onions on top of the Shaw's created burger patty. It does take a moment for your order to be freshly prepared, but it was certainly worth the wait. It was a delicious and filling meal.