We ordered 2 different 3 meat plates; one with turkey, bbq and white meat chicken and one with ribs, dark meat chicken and bbq. You could taste the smoke which I love and the rub on the ribs and chicken was moist and flavorful. The bbq had lots of bark and was good. Our sides were very good- I got the homemade chips which were crunchy and great, and fruit (honeydew and cantaloupe) and my partner got the baked beans (had what we think was ground hamburger in it- not too sweet and really good) and collards. We've already gotten lunch and dinner out of it and still have leftovers, the portions are generous. We loved it! Only bummer was my cornbread and the sauce packets were left out, but that is a minor issue. We ordered a jar of the sweet heat sauce and it's awesome. read more

Sam Jones BBQ doesn't disappoint. Picking up a pint on the way home from work is going to be the new norm.

Flavors are definitely on point. If you want a good bbq place then this would definitely be a selection you should make. The chicken had so much flavor in it it definitely surprised me. The outdoor seating is amazing as well read more

Fast service. Good BBQ and Mac and cheese Awful cornbread. Street parking was plentiful.

Tasty and juicy chicken and turkey. Two types of sauces available at each table. I loved the sweet bbq sauce and dumped it all over my meal. In terms of sides, mac and cheese was pretty standard, no issues. Other side i ate was the coleslaw. It was chopped up greens and was pretty sweet, but i enjoy sweet slaw, don't order it if you expect a tart slaw. Overall good chill experience, would go back. read more

A great new bbq spot in Raleigh! We tried the bbq pork, collards, slaw, homemade chips and banana pudding. The bbq had great flavor and the vinegar sauce complimented it perfectly. The sides were a little small but enough for one person. The banana pudding was a highlight- the meringue topping was delicious. The staff were super friendly and accommodating. read more

Sometimes you shouldn't mess with a good thing. It was always a treat to visit Sam Jones or Skylights when headed east. Was excited to have SJB right downtown Raleigh. They have been out of something everytime I have tried it. Think I will stick with just going when passing thru. read more

They have the BEST vinegar sauce I have had! I'm still a little confused about the cornbread (super dense) but absolutely love the flavor of their meats. And they have a great outdoor patio right near downtown Raleigh! read more

I recently moved here from Texas so admittedly I have plenty of experience with barbecue restaurants. This place has good food, full stop. Different style than I am used to but the meats were on point, the sides were solid, and I was pleasantly surprised by the fact they were operating well even though they are new. I lived previously in an area where a new restaurant would go in every 3 months and this place seems to be getting it right even during COVID compared to others I have been to in the past. When I picked my order up they had 4 other orders ready to go at the same time and this was at an awkward time around 3:30 pm. It's clearly catching on and I will definitely be back. read more

Went by Sam Jones BBQ for their soft opening. Wow, that's the gold standard of ENC whole hog bbq. Wood cooked, lightly dressed with vinegar pepper sauce, crispy skin chopped in, fantastic. Excellent collard greens, mac n cheese, and french fries too. Apparently they were working through some IT issues so service was a little slow, but I'll be back asap read more

I found the pulled pork bbq at Sam Jones a little dry and compressed. The flavor was good but the texture was lacking. A little sauce always helps but their vinegar sauce was sweet, so I just settled for hot sauce. I would say they don't have a true eastern NC sauce but I know opinions vary and that may not matter to everyone. The lack of hush puppies on the menu was also a letdown, though cornbread is an option. The highlight of the meal was the perfectly cooked and seasoned collard greens. Definitely order the greens if you're there. Also they do have a nice selection of beers. Not what I was there for but sometimes you want a nice beer with your bbq. read more

Amazing ambiance. Great food. Perfect for families. Best BBQ ribs we have tried in Raleigh. read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Half rack of ribs with baked potato ! Amazing ribs juicy and tender meat - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

A really good place to eat some BBQ with the family and to have drinks. Really nice place

Only reason for four s is the unfortunate cornbread. Meat platter was tasty, moist, great house sauce choices. The baked beans were fabulous. Again, the cornbread. Something I was looking forward to as much as anything and have never seen done so poorly. It's a curiously condensed flavorless thin brick. Hopefully that page in the family cook book gets caught in the meat grinder. Make no mistake, I'll go back for the mains, I'll just order the muffin instead. read more

Food was OK. Nothing to write home about. Cornbread was weird. Nothing special, really, except a nice location. Oh, and you had to wait forever on a dumb line to get service. This confusing and silly wait while standing up for 20 minutes before ordering and listening to every fool hem and haw over what to order spoiled a sit-down dinner at sit-down-dinner prices. read more

Best Bbq anywhere. The cornbread is an Eastern NC thing and it is fabulous! Portions are large, sides are great! The banana pudding and chocolate eclair are the perfect endings to a great meal. As an eastern NC native, this place definitely ranks at the top. My tastebuds do a happier dance when I walk in the doors. read more

If you're from NC, especially eastern NC, you will really appreciate this place. They are keeping alive some very important heritage and, despite the modern digs and beer, doing a damn fine job of it. You'll maybe see a bad review here - from people that just don't get it. Good, more for the rest of us and less of a wait to get it. Keep it up guys, we got you. P.S. I like the modern digs and the beer too. read more

I had a very negative customer no service experience at this restaurant. They seem to take their customers for granted and even management is adept at passing the buck and will even try to get you to put it in your pocket. I can't recommend spending any money at this establishment until they do a better job at making a customer feel appreciated on the most basic of customer service levels. read more

If you enjoy authentic eastern NC- style bbq, you need to try Sam Jones! I have eaten here at the Raleigh location many many times and it always delivers the goods. Whole hog cooked slow and low over wood- Sam Jones keeps it pure. In addition to their masterful 'cue, I especially enjoy their smoked chicken and their ribs. My favorite SJ sides are their collards, mac & cheese, hand-cut fries, and their baked beans. All are prepared fresh in-house and are exceptional. If you're able to save some room for dessert, try the banana pudding for a perfect finish. In case you haven't been picking up what Im dropping, I love just about everything about this place. From the food, to the decor, to their music playlist, to the picnic tables and the working smoke house outside, this restaurant yodels simplicity, authenticity, and legendary southern goodness. While I admit I haven't acquired a taste for their infamous cornbread yet, I sure can respect their commitment to it. I love good barbecue and believe NC is home to the world's best. In my humble opinion, no one does it better than Sam Jones... and in my book that's a mighty pig deal! read more

Great BBQ , Great Chicken, Great Service & Cold beer. I'm not sure you need much else. My son and I went on a Saturday afternoon boys day and it hit the spot. Pork was excellent, beer list is expansive but well selected. We will be back ! read more

This place is a hidden gem among a up and coming neighborhood. The food was really great- Absolutely love the juicy ribs, (16.99 lb approx: 4 thick bones) the Mac and cheese and the bake beans was some of the best I tasted from a restraunt. The Coleslaw was not very flavorful and the bbq sauce is a little too watery for me but the taste was a hit with some minor personal touches. Would definitely recommend and by far the best BBQ place in Raleigh. Also, the customer service was fantastic and honest which is always a bonus. read more

Do not get the cornbread!!!! It is tasteless and the texture is like a hockey puck. BBQ pork was good. Skip the Mac and cheese too it's nothing special. read more

No smaller rib plate so I sprang for the $17.00 dinner w 2 sides. Four large ribs and I won the lottery with a burnt end tucked underneath. Ribs seasoned lightly with no hot, sugary, or peppery spice dominating. Tender and lightly smokey. Two sauces offered- sweet and vinegary or traditional mustard vinegar sauce. Beans were tomato-base. Sweet slaw was creamy and very fine chop. Hubs had the chopped whole hog traditional sandwich. No complaints from him. I'd give the ribs 4.0 to 4.5 out of 5. And I am a tough judge. Clean atmosphere with lots of indoor and outdoor shaded dining. Other locations in NC. read more

You have better BBQ options in downtown Raleigh than this place. Poorly prepared barbecue, small portions, over priced, with poor service. Keep scrolling as almost any place is better than this one. read more

Very underwhelming bbq. I've been to Skylight many times and is my favorite in eastern nc. This was bland, had way too much hard fat chopped up in it (not the cracklings) and not very warm. Not sure what the deal is. read more

This was my first time eating at Sam Jones BBQ in Raleigh, NC. The restaurant is new, has plenty of outdoor and indoor seating, and has good barbecue. I noticed stairs leading up and asked if there is seating there. I was told it is mainly for overflow seating and for large groups and there is a TV. The options at Sam Jones are good. You order at the counter and the food is brought to your table when it's ready. The sides were all very good, but the cornbread was hard and tasteless. I suggest that you skip the cornbread and get a muffin or homemade potato chips. The chopped or pulled pork BBQ is very good. They have both NC vinegar based sauce and sweet sauce on the tables. Service was good and was friendly. Besides the awful cornbread, parking can be a problem because the restaurant is located a few blocks away from the downtown area and street parking can be sparse depending on the time of day you arrive. Also, parking toward downtown has a 2-hour limit, but parking in the residential area near the restaurant is free and has no time limit. read more

Best bbq joint I've been to, at least on the pork side of things. They made this place perfect, right down to the beer selection. The crispy bits of skin in the pulled pork are just too good to put into words. read more

Delicious smoked turkey, bbq pork, collards, chips, and sweet potato bread. Highly recommend!

I will admit that I am not the world's biggest BBQ afficianado, but I've had my fair share of barbecue from around the country. Though the register attendant's smooth southern accent charmed me, the fact that I had to order ahead of time like a prisoner requesting kosher food did not. As I stood in line to place my order, I couldn't help but overhear requests for any other meat than pork to be swiftly denied due to a shortage. Perhaps this would be understandable if this were a chicken-prohibition themed restaraunt, but was not a good look for 7 pm. I had to retrieve my own drink like a child at a drinking fountain, but I had PLENTY of time to wait for my food to do so. Myself and another companion were served our food, with proportions more suitable for an anorexic woodpecker than a 17 dollar plate. My third friend was given the banana pudding that is considered moreso a dessert than a main course in over fifty states. We waited over twenty minutes for her plate. read more

Raleigh is a lucky city to have a Sam Jones BBQ!! It is truly the best bbq in the world. The smell of smoke hits you as you drive past compelling you to stop. The chopped bbq sandwich is sublime but I secretly adore the baked potato. read more

Eastern NC girl here. I frequent the location in Greenville/Winterville as my church is down the street . The food is sooooooo good and authentic. I was so excited when they told me they were opening a Raleigh location as that's where I reside. So disappointed. All I ordered was a catfish sandwich. On a Tuesday night. I had to wait an additional 30 minutes for it after they told me it would be ready in 15 and the fish was not done and no flavor. I will stick to original location. read more

What a great place to eat, great BBQ and ribs, nice staff and well run, Great decor and very clean, hot military discount. Will eat there once a week. read more

Meal I received was nowhere near the meal pictured in ads. Barbecue sandwich was not even close. Didn't even have the same kind of slaw as pictured. Manager didn't know because she had never seen the online menu! Collard greens were tough and overcooked. The sweet potato muffin was burnt. Spent $80 including tip. The meal presentation was awful for takeout. Called and got immediate offer of 50% refund. The catfish nuggets were decent but the tartar sauce was not. Cant believe this place got any good ratings. The barbecue sandwich was side loaded. Que on one side of the bun and slaw on the other. Slapped together. not prepared. basic bun. read more

Such a disappointment- particularly because it has so much potential. We went to celebrate daughter's birthday because she wanted bbq. Before ordering, we asked if they had enough bbq to feed the nine of us. After checking with manager, the employee said "yes." We placed and paid for our bbq orders and sat at table with our drinks. 15 mins later, waitress comes to our table to apologize that they had NO BBQ AT ALL. They were not even able to fill the bbq sandwich order for the birthday girl. But, the manager said that he would allow us to switch to ribs and save the $4 difference. Although we didn't really want ribs, we agreed so as to not interfere with birthday celebration. It appeared to me that the manager knew this from the beginning, but did not want to lose the money that he would receive from our orders. Next, about 5 minutes later (which informed me this was preplanned by Mgr), the waitress brought to our out ALL of the orders to our table BOXED UP "to go" . . . puzzled, as we were drinking the beverages at the table using the restaurant's cups, we informed the waitress that we were eating at the table. She apologized and brought out a stack of plates for us to sort and use while we individually unpacked the food and transferred the food to the plates ourselves. After we finished, we had inadvertently left a small potted plant on the table that daughter received for her birthday. When we called first thing in the morning, the manager claimed that there was no plant on the table even though we were among the last to leave the night before. He never offered to investigate further eg inquiring with staff, etc. We will not be back, which is unfortunate because we were exited and hopeful that this would be a good bbq place. Instead, the experience was fairly pathetic. If a restaurant is purposefully deceptive about filling orders so as to not lose family-sized order, I can only imagine what shortcuts it takes with food prep etc that are not readily obvious. read more

Man, the first two times we ate here, we absolutely loved it. Today, it was a complete bust. The cornbread had no flavor and a rubbery texture. The greens were undercooked. The chopped bbq was dry and not very flavorful. The Mac and cheese was okay, but it had completely knocked our socks off before. The ribs weren't as tasty as before. And I didn't even touch the quarter chx leg. the last two times we kept saying to each other what a great find this was and after this time I wonder when (if) we'll go back. read more

Randomly stopped in for lunch with my fam and I thought it was delicious. Super clean too! I have some mezcal drink tasted good and looked pretty. Sauce on point and bbq too! Mac and cheese tasty! Great customer service. Corn bread was kind of weird. Other then that super great and looking forward to coming back. read more

Had lunch here today and it was great. Easy to get to, good parking options, a fun walk to downtown. Sadly, we're boring and all three of us ordered the same thing: Pete Jones BBQ sandwich with slaw. Delicious and enormous!! There's no sauce on the 'cue but there are giant bottles of vinegar-style and sweet-style sauce on the table. A generous serving of a side comes with each sandwich. I had mac n cheese--to die for! My companions got fries and potato salad. The inside space is very nice but since it was a warm February day we ate outside and were very comfortable. Service is attentive and prompt. We'll be back. Great addition to the area. (Only gave four stars b/c I can only give five stars to my hometown BBQ spot. Hope you understand. ) read more

Don't know why this restaurant is not rated on here with 5 stars. Super charming place that is very welcoming as soon as you walk in. We were met at the front counter by a pleasant guy who went over the menu with us once we let him know it was our first time. We each got the bbq plate...mine with cole slaw, French fries, and cornbread and my husband's plate with corn bread, collard greens and baked beans. Once we sat down, our food was out within 5 minutes. It was amazing. The bbq is smoked so perfectly that you really don't need a sauce, but then once you try both of their sauces, you feel the need to soak the bbq with both of them. The yummy sauces include one that is vinegar based while the other one is sweet with a hint of heat. All of the sides were perfectly seasoned with the fries being hand cut. The corn bread was a bit different and probably not our favorite, but honestly who is going for the corn bread anyways. Highly recommend this place. read more