This place has great food and service. I've been here twice for lunch over the past few weeks. Both times I've been in a crunch for time. The food is delicious and comes out quickly. read more

We were in town visiting family and this place has some of the best BBQ I've ever had. Oh and the fried catfish is horribly underrated! So yourself a favor and give it a try. read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Chopped BBQ 1/2 Pound , greens, coleslaw! - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

My Dad had visited the Greenville location and was super excited for us to try the ribs. He says the Raleigh version are different. So overall I will say we were disappointed in our experience. You order at a counter and then find a seat. The restaurant is very loud inside. The bbq sandwich was very dry but the mac and cheese was delicious. The cornbread is also very dry. read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Spare ribs plate - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Being a fan of Skylight Inn, I'm so glad Sam Jones BBQ now has a location in Raleigh. I finally got to try it the other day, and needless to say I'll be returning. The pulled pork is what you'd expect - smoky and flavorful meat with bits of pork rind mixed in. Yes, pork rinds mixed in - it's awesome. But make sure you add the vinegar sauce to moisten the meat up as well as provide the right amount of flavor and kick. The slaw is sweet and creamy, which is just the right complement to the vinegary pork. And the cornbread is straight from the Skylight Inn tradition - probably unlike anything you've tried before, but still good - dense, firm, and slightly chewy on the inside, with a nice crusty exterior. It's one of those things you may not love immediately, but I've grown to enjoy. I also branched out and tried the ribs as well. Definitely worth it! They were deliciously seasoned with smokiness perfection - there was no need for extra BBQ sauce slathered on top, which says a lot about how well they seasoned the meat. Each bite was blissfully bite-off-the-bone in texture, and honestly it was some of the best ribs I've had in a long time. I love me some NC pulled pork barbecue, but these ribs might be my favorite thing from Sam Jones BBQ. I called in my order to-go, and it was ready for pickup at the expected time. They also have outdoor and indoor seating available with COVID precautions. All the staff were wearing masks when I came to pick up my order. Parking around this part of Raleigh wasn't bad, either. I will be back! read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Jones family original (pulled pork, cole slaw, Skylight Inn-style cornbread) and Ribs. Delicious! - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

First of all know that in these covid-era times, there is ample outdoor seating, as well as a spacious interior. Either way you do need to go in to order at the counter. There are sandwiches, sides, main dishes...great variety on the menu. When you first walk up to the place, you will smell the delicious smoky aromas! Parking is street parking nearby. We didn't have any problem finding any, but it was a Monday at an off-hour. Between the four of us, we tried the smoked wings, bbq pork with mac n cheese, collards and sweet potato muffin, and bbq pork sandwich with mac n cheese side. With two teas and two beers, this was a $60 meal. Well worth it for the quality! They offer both a vinegar sauce and a sweeter sauce to compliment your meal. Portions are very generous. Highly recommend! read more

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Had a party catered at the restaurant. The service was good and the food was good also.

First time here for us. Sunday evening and the restaurant was calm and not crowded (just like we like it). They have quite a bit of outdoor seating. We sat inside because it was hot out. You order at the counter, get a number to sit on your table, and someone brings your food out to you. I like that concept. The girl taking orders was very helpful to the group in front of us so most of our questions were already answered when it was our turn. Hubby and I both got the pulled pork platter with coleslaw and baked beans. We went out on a limb and tried the cornbread. Sauce was on the table. NC vinegar hot sauce and also a more mild sauce. Both were tasty. A roll of paper towels on the table is always a good thing. Sweet tea was decent. Now -- that cornbread......we both looked at each other and were convinced it was a baking error ?? Next time - Texas Toast. We have a gift card so we are looking forward to coming back and trying something else . The food was good. (Except for that cornbread). read more

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Sam Jones is delicious Eastern style Carolina barbecue just outside of downtown Raleigh. On this day, I ordered a pulled pork sandwich with slaw and fries. The tables have sweet barbecue and vinegar based sauces to pair with my pork sandwich. My only gripe is that the prices have really gone up recently, and it wasn't cheap to begin with, but I'll definitely be back again. read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Pete Jones barbecue sandwich with slaw and fries - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Food is always good service there always on point and you can always have a good time the the vibe and everything is on point

Having read all of the great reviews on Yelp, I decided to try Sam Jones with pretty high expectations and it definitely didn't disappoint! Since this was my first time, my family and I ordered the Jones Family Original BBQ Tray and the Spare Rib Plate, and both were great in terms of the meat and the sides. We got the BBQ tray with mac and cheese and Texas toast, and we got the spare rib plate with baked beans, collard greens, and a sweet potato muffin. I read here that their cornbread can be a bit funky compared to the typical cornbread which is why I opted for other bread options. I also love that you get to pick whether you want the vinegar sauce pack or the sweet BBQ sauce pack, and we did one of each for the two plates so we could try both. Now for the food. The pulled pork was delicious, but what I really enjoyed was the ribs. These ribs were so flavorful that I didn't even need to use the sauce on the side, and we had some leftovers as well for future meals. In terms of the sides, I loved the mac and cheese as well as the baked beans (which are often hit or miss for my personal taste), but the collards were overly salty and not the best. We also didn't care too much for the sweet potato muffin. read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Jones Family BBQ Tray with mac and cheese and Texas toast - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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The BBQ was good, but man I wish I had read the reviews about the cornbread. Better yet, I wish Sam Jones would read the reviews. What even is this? We are in North Carolina. This is just wrong. Very dense, flat and hard. No sweet corn taste. It reminds me of a bland tamale.. At first I was convinced there were several ingredients missing, then I realized through the reviews that this was intentional. Criminal smh. read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Delicious BBQ at this downtown Raleigh outpost of Sam Jones BBQ. I've been to the original Skylight Inn and the Sam Jones in Greenville. Happy to report that the recipes and quality have transported well to Raleigh. The interior is industrial-converted cool - dark wood, metal, polished concrete and exposed brick. There are about 20 tables, 10 seats at the bar plus picnic tables and a few other tables on the patio. Country music fills the airwaves. Its an order at the counter, they bring the food to the table place. It's a simple menu of eastern NC bbq standards. No brisket here, this is whole hog bbq! Service was quick, food was served less than 10 minutes after ordering. Chose the rib platter and salad with turkey. The smallest portion of the rib platter is one pound, about 6 bones. They are sublime! Fall-off-the-bone tender. Smoky, moist and firm with a slight hint of heat. Paired with the sweet sauce, these are really really good ribs! Baked beans are sweet, with chunks of pork. Collard greens seasoned and simmered till al dente, served in a vinegary broth. Plus a sweet potato muffin. Excellent! The salad is a nice variety of crisp, fresh veggies. Chose turkey to top it. The turkey is the highlight, smoked till tender and juicy, then chopped. House-made ranch dressing pulls it all together, a great combo. Didn't have any chopped pork this time, so now have a ready-made excuse to go back again soon. Try this BBQ spot! Recommended. read more

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Sam Jones BBQ is one of those places I go to entirely too much. The vibe is always laid-back and welcoming, and they're dog-friendly (with an outdoor area to hang out in), which is probably the main reason I come by, usually my greyhound is in the car with us. I order the turkey everytime - it's always on point--tender, flavorful, and smoky, and yes, I share with my dog, he's worth it. If you're in the mood for some Lexington style BBQ, Sam Jones won't disappoint. read more

I actually came here because the other place i chose was closed. What a hook up.! I have never had a turkey sandwich like this in my life. Point blank /stop what you're doing get the turkey sandwich. read more

Sam Jones BBQ - The best smoked turkey sandwich I've ever had! - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

So I've been stalking the new Sam Jones BBQ location for a while now and happy to say, apparently I was Customer #1 as a walk-in today! Yes, there were some online orders before me but... Anyhow, given it just opened up, the interior is still being worked on and it's only take-out. It's got a lot of brown painted wood, a long marble counter for quick eats and a private room upstairs. I ordered up the 3-meat combo plate at $19 with a ribs upgrade. At home I unpack the eats and while the barbeque is excellent, the ribs shine through as equally good. The collards are perfectly cooked (texture-wise) with a minimum of liquid while the beans are loaded with some ground meat. Overall it's an excellent meal and reminds me of when the Pit was in its hey-day when it opened. Given it's the time of COVID and the place just opened, I'm going to give it a happy five stars with expectations they will up their game as they get settled in. Excellent smoked meats, excellent Southern sides, 2021 will be the year of barbeque for the Triangle with other great options opening up. But Sam Jones BBQ has certainly raised the bar for Raleigh right now, enjoy... read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Best eastern NC BBQ I've had in awhile and definitely the best collard greens! Love the vibe inside and outside.

Where to start? When you walk in, you walk up to the counter and order your food. They give you a number and go sit down, they bring out your food once it's ready. If uou see they have the cheerwine and bourbon slush, get it. I don't think we waited longer than 5 minutes for our food. I ordered the bbq sandwich with slaw, the Alabama white sauce wings, and banana pudding. The sandwich was delicious. Nice soft bun, perfectly cooked bbq, and sweet cole slaw. I highly recommend the white sauce wings. They are limited editions, so get them while you can! I was slightly disappointed with the banana pudding. Pudding was liquidy, and the bananas were firm. The staff were all extremely friendly. Made excellent recommendations. If you're looking for tasty BBQ in downtown Raleigh, check this place out! read more

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Visiting from DC, I googled around and saw everyone recommending this place for the eastern style whole hog bbq so I had to go. One quote from the internet said it ain't true Carolina bbq if it ain't cooked with wood so it was nice to see a huge pile of wood next to the back of the building when I pulled up. This was one of the best pulled pork bbq sandwiches I've ever had. I added both sauces, one vinegar and one sweet, and it was truly amazing. I will be back to try out their ribs but the pulled pork already has me hooked. The only reason I am giving 4 and not 5 stars is that I asked for potato salad as my side item and they forgot to include it. read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Outside sign - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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I have been dying to try Sam jones. Well the stars aligned and I was around town. Everything was good. The smoked turkey was so nicely smoked. The beans.....try the baked beans. The sweet potato muffin was a home run for me. Such a cool atmosphere. read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Do not get the cornbread, I don't k ow what it was but it sure as shit wasn't cornbread. Mac and cheese was decent but absolutely everything else was a struggle to eat. Super disappointed... no shot I would eat here again even if it was free read more

Just got into North Carolina, we decided to stop in and get some BBQ of course! It's true what they say about southern hospitality! The staff was very well mannered and I can't tell which was better the food or the staff! We also got to try a staple of North Carolina, the Cheerwine. I recommend the pulled pork sandwich with the baked beans, it melted in your mouth and was delicious! Dan & Lexi read more

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The best BBQ and atmosphere in Raleigh. Great food and excellent bar selection , Don't miss it! read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

After hearing about the hype surrounding this new spot, I put it on my calendar for a Friday lunch while downtown. The online order process was very simple and had a notes section that made it easy for them to know I was also picking up a coworker's order at the same time. I arrived 5 minutes after the time I had set but it wasn't a problem. There's construction happening around the restaurant so there were quite a few cars parked along the street. I guessed on where the curbside pickup spot was out front and put my hazard lights on. You click "I'm here" in your email and they bring your order out. The guy working was very patient and friendly. One of the orders I was picking up was behind mine, so while mine was ready, his was not. The employee kept running in and out to help. That set me back about another 5 minutes, but it was not their fault. The food was great! I got the platter (I think) which had shredded BBQ, two sides (get the collards and mac & cheese), and a choice of bread. Since I'd read the cornbread is a bit funkier than what I'm used to, I went for the toast. I was glad I chose the sweet BBQ sauce as it was very good. I'll be back! They have picnic tables out front so it will be a nice spot once things warm up (maybe they will have umbrellas out?). read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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We went today and asked for gluten free options due to Celiacs Disease. Very sick after eating here, don't know if they take gluten free as seriously as they should. read more

Returned back to Sam Jones to try more of their sides and service. Got to try the sweet potato muffin, which I recommend more than the cornbread side. I tried the mac and cheese again, and to add some more carbs, I got a side of the french fries. Weather was rainy, so we sat inside. The interview has lots of photos of the Sam Jones story, so it makes you feel like you're apart of something awesome. I will have to come back again! read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Pork Platter - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Excellent chopped pork and brisket. Mac and cheese, baked beans and slaw are top notch. Skip the cornbread.

Awesome barbecue spot. I had a delicious rum slushie drink and tried the chicken, pulled pork, mac and cheese, sweet potato bread, cornbread and fries. Everything was super tasty. They also have indoor and outdoor seating! read more

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Being Friday, I was craving some good ole bbq. The place I regularly go to was closed so I headed over to Sam Jones. First time there. I wish I could say that I love it. But I really didn't. The service was great! The folks were friendly and fast. The food just didn't hold up. The chopped bbq was so finely chopped it was almost ground. The Mac and cheese was dry and flavorless. The cornbread looked like a tile. It was thin, dense, and greasy. I've never seen cornbread like that. The beans were good and so are the fries. read more

My local go to for a good chopped sandwich. Best place to buy a lb of Q. Whole hog style is the best

Ribs - Pretty tasty but hit or miss. The flavoring was phenomenal and the tenderness was mostly there. Half the ribs were amazing and the other half were too dried out to enjoy. Potato salad - Just ok. Bit of vinegaryness but nothing outstanding. Slaw - Meh. read more

Sam Jones BBQ - 2lbs ribs, potato salad, slaw - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I don't want to write this review. I'm a bbq fan and going to the Skylight Inn in Ayden was practically a religious experience for me. It was seriously some of the best food I've ever eaten, so I came into the order from Sam Jones with high hopes. I spent almost $100 on takeout and got a pretty wide spread of food. I even got a piece of corn bread to see what the controversy is. The good: Baked beans - wow! I'd order these by themselves The ok: Mac and cheese - decent, but not anything memorable Bbq - pretty meh to be honest. Part of a tub is still in my fridge a couple of days later. Slaw - slightly sweet, very fine cabbage Sweet potato muffins - they were ... fine The bad: Collards - practically no flavor Potato salad - tasted like it came from a tub The interior was nice for a bbq place in a city, and my take out order was ready very quickly. I can get similar food for half the cost elsewhere and will continue to do so. I can't see coming back here, though. read more

This restaurant is a real nice location and ambiance. Other than that, the food is lack luster. My bf said his spare Ribs were tough- they did give a good portion though. Chicken serving I got was a thigh and very fatty/ not a lot of flavor Potato salad is not balanced enough for me- just tasted like mustard. The worst was the sweet coleslaw and cornbread. I love sweet coleslaw but this dish was just sugared cabbage and I couldn't eat it. The cornbread could've been used as a door stop it was so tough. I wanted to like it here but for $32 for two people to eat lunch- not worth read more

Cashier seemed like she was having the worst day of her life. Was basically whispering to us and just a poor attitude overall. Ribs were solid but the chopped bbq was terrible. Super bland and mealy. Mac and cheese had no taste. Everything else we had was mediocre at best. read more

Food was excellent, Staff was helpful and friendly. Ribs were tasty and meaty! Pulled pork was great. I enjoyed the beans as a side dish. Nice place with both eat-in and patio dining!! read more

Serving employees were rude and obnoxious during our recent dining room experience on Palm Sunday. They appear to be poorly trained because they treated us with disrespect. We have been customers for years but we find out last experience at Sam Jones to be our last. read more

Ambiance is a bit sketch.. but food was good and i like the people! :) Family loved it. I am not a BBQ person so everyone in my family enjoyed it more than me. read more

Not sure how anyone could rate this location anything less than FIVE Stars. The preparation & flavor of their chopped pork approaches the literal definition of Eastern North Carolina barbecue. Then, many of their other offerings create an even broader appeal if you're wanting something different that day, or for any newbies still acquiring the taste, or (for whatever unknown reason) needing to get their brisket on. The biggest surprise (and a very pleasant surprise at that) were the spare ribs. Honestly, 3 of these will be more-than filling for many people. The quality of the meat, the trim, the flavor & the texture were unique & spectacular. Plus, the amount of "tug" was spot on. And no sauce was even necessary, although a little sauce did add to the overall enjoyment. Street parking helps with their small parking lot, but isn't the most convenient. Leave some extra time to find parking in this more residential location. Expect a line & a generally busy, bustling, vibrant atmosphere. It's not your average gravel parking lot bbq "joint". But, everyone seemed very nice & helpful, especially the floor servers. It's also not cheap. Expect to drop $20-25 per person on average. However, you get what you pay for, both in terms of quantity as well as the excellence of the flavor. And you're guaranteed not to go away hungry or disappointed! read more

Great pork sandwich and The Dewberry drink was delicious. Service was great and speedy at the bar.

Another crowd pleaser. I went for BBQ but was totally blown away by the baked potato. The BBQ was great and we tried the wings with Alabama White Sauce. They were good. The potato salad has a bit to much mustard for my taste but that's just me. My nephew had the combo plater and loved the chicken, pork and ribs. Sam JONES definitely lived up to its reputation! read more

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Good BBQ and quick service. I ordered BBQ platter and it comes with 2 sides and a choice of beef! Choose sweet potato muffin! It was so good! Platter is perfect for when you are hungry! read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina