Not everyone from California is a liberal stooge. I am a country boy and I love Bbq. Recently my wife and I flew to NC to see our son who is one of our fighting warriors, a United States Marine. I was a Marine stationed at Lejeune 100 years ago. What I found is that the state of NC is beautiful, it looks like Heaven to a guy like me. Best part about NC, the people. Some of the nicest, real people I have ever met and I mean that. While there, I got the hankering for some proper bbq. Well, why not go to the best bbq on this planet. I looked it up, everyone seems to put Skylight Inn #1. I can't get proper bbq in cali. We went in and basically ordered everything that they serve. We wanted leftovers. Well the young man at the counter was a throwback to the days before kids lost their minds with all this woke crap. I wish I would've got that kids name. Let's get to the business, the bbq. It was unbelievable. Smokey but not too much. They crush the pork skin into the meat for a little piece of Heaven. I can't wait to go back to Skylight. Thanks for a great experience. Don't forget to get the beans omg they are delicious. DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING. Leave it be, it is perfect bbq. read more

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"MMT" Day 3: Michelle decided to skip lunch today to save herself for dinner tonight (That will be another post) I, on the other hand, was on a mission to complete my BBQ circle here. Today's destination was the famous historic Skylight Inn BBQ in Ayden, NC right outside of Greenville. It was a short trip that would take me back to the roadside stands of yesteryear with the down-home feeling of family, friends and fabulous simple food. The menu was straightforward; you have a choice of chopped "pig" or yardbird. Both were offered in various portion sizes and with optional sides which consisted of baked beans, coleslaw or potato salad. Cornbread was included. My selection was 1/2 a yardbird with the addition of chopped "pig" with baked beans and (recommended) potato salad. (Don't judge, I was making sure that there were leftovers for Michelle) The chicken was flavorful and tender. The Sam Jones BBQ sweet sauce really complimented the light smoke flavor of the bird. The chopped "pig" was a version of what I enjoyed yesterday but this dish seemed to have more crunch from the crispy skin that is chopped in with the pulled meat. This version was also different in the sense that it didn't have any or as much of the vinegar sauce mixed in during the chopping process. Both proteins were on point and yummy! The sides were, well, well made old school Southern sides. The complimented the meal perfectly. The cornbread was a work of art. Crunchy on the outside, both top and bottom, and tender on the inside. (I'd love to make a sandwich with this bread) All of this was complimented with welcoming friendly service and some great conversation. Thanks Steve for sharing some time with me. The experience was capped off with me getting an impromptu tour of the 1940s smoke house. All in all a wonderful experience and a proper way to finish my BBQ run in eastern NC. Well done Tarheals...well done! 5 out of 5 and totally worth the trip! read more

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BBQ is ridiculously good. Classic eastern NC pulled pork with fat back mixed in. Slaw is on the sweeter side...good but not my favorite style. Corn bread is the dense, compact type...quite good but save room for more Q. read more

This is what a BBQ place should be in my opinion. No frills, relatively inexpensive, and yummy. Things you should know: 1. They chop their pork and add cracklins to it, some like it some don't. I thought it added nice crunch and some very good flavors. 2. Their corn "bread" is more like corn.... uh dense corn cake. The texture is dense and different than I'd ever encountered by the flavor is a great counterpoint to the pork. 2. The coleslaw is the most cabbage flavored coleslaw I've ever encountered and it was AMAZING! Easily the best creamy colesaw ever. Not too creamy, very green tasting. 3. The potato salad was nice, not too mustardy not too anything, just solid potato salad. 4. I think stick with the NC style sauce. Though have lousiana style hot sauce and a more texas style sauce. 5. They have cheerwine in their soda machine. There is a smallish dining room and a covered picnic table area outside which is pretty nice. read more

The Bar-B-Q is so good here, you won't forget it. I like to eat outside near the collard green shop. The cornbread is wonderful , too. Truly a classic. read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

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If you like Eastern NC BBQ this is your place. Skylight Inn is the real deal! The pork is excellent with some 'cracklins' in it. The baked beans and slaw are the perfect sides! The sweet tea and the corn bead round out the ultimate BBQ meal. This place should be on every BBQ lovers list! read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - BBQ, bread, baked beans and coleslaw! - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

We ate here in 2020 (sorry it's late) and we had a very good experience. We drove here from Raleigh specifically to eat here : ) This was our first visit so we tried the pulled pork and the chicken and both were TASTY! Lunch crowd was large so this must be a popular spot. Service was quick even with the busy crowd and super friendly. Sweet tea was perfect as were the sides (beans, slaw). I tried all of their sauces and they were all good. I think I prefer just the naked pork though as it was delicious. read more

We drove two hours and were not disappointed. We had the BBQ Pork and a 1/4 Chicken (leg & thigh) and both were exceptionally delicious! The BBQ Pork was unlike any I've had. I think the whole hog makes the difference and I definitely liked the crunch of the cracklin. The chicken was smoked to perfection and loaded with flavor. We also had the beans and coleslaw. The coleslaw was light and had just the right amount of sweetness. The beans were simply outstanding! If you're debating whether or not to go out of your way to visit, you should do it! read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

The BBQ here is so unique and delicious! They put chunks of the crispy skin in the BBQ, which doesn't sound like a great idea, but it really amps up the texture and flavor! Also loved the cole slaw, it's chopped fine and has the perfect amount of sweetness. Didn't really care for the corn bread, it's flat and dense and without much flavor, but other than that it was a perfect lunch! read more

Best sandwich in Pitt Co in my opinion. Service is always fast and food is always fresh

I've read about this place for years even drove by it not realizing that was it so one day we made it a destination going for bbq and nothing is going to stop us it did not disappoint I ordered a chicken plate and 2 pig plates that way I could try all the sides banana pudding can not be substituted so we bought it separate I put the house sauce on one and kept the other plane this is whole hog bbq so you will get crispy pieces of skin chopped in the mix you won't want it any other way after you try it the sauce was very good but no sauce stood it's ground pretty well the baked beans were my favorite side the slaw and potato salad seemed about average the banana pudding was really good and a must try the chicken had a Smokey flavor and tangy sauce that was worth the drive by itself each meal comes with cornbread that makes you wonder how they do it it was buddy's first trip to the skylight as well and he was beside himself with excitement we will not pass this little joint by again read more

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A local, unquestionable favorite for wood-smoked eastern Carolina. BBQ. If you need Yelp to tell you to go, you're too late. There's already a line formed for lunch. read more

Best Q in ENC. I won't buy a drink because it comes in styrofoam or plastic but the rest of it comes in paper. Ditch the plastic!

Love this place!! Best BBQ ever!! And absolutely love the baked beans...they have hamburger in them...they are good enough to eat as a meal!! The atmosphere is perfect!! read more

Hands down BEST BBQ on the planet earth . I simply do not know how else I could explain it from the Smokey tender pork bbq to the sweet Cole slaw and the cornbread is amazing! I will go out of my way if I'm in the state to go here it is that good. read more

THIS is the definition of Eastern NC Pork BBQ. The Jones Family has passed down their tradition of authentic wood cooked BBQ for several generations & it shows. The best BBQ you'll ever eat!! read more

Good eats it's actually been a long time since I have eaten there but Skylight Inn and Pete Jones is the same people that have been in this business as long as I can remember read more

The pig is tasty, especially if you like lots of crispy skin mixed into your meat. It is more greasy though because of that. Without sauce, it doesn't have a ton of flavor, so sauce it up! Sides are good--the beans have a great blend of bell peppers and ground beef; the cole slaw is finely chopped and slightly sweet; and the famous cornbread cake is dense but tasty. The BBQ chicken has some crispy portions but is mostly slathered in tasty sauce, making it a great bbq chicken. read more

My mama said if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. Loved the Pepsi in a bottle though.

I found this place delightful. It's a long-standing locally owned classic BBQ joint, just a few miles outside of Greenville. Our family recommended it on our drive to Charlotte from the coast. It was a great little lunch shop. NOTE: This is a cash only joint. All prices include taxes; bring cash. We ordered a large whole hog BBQ tray, and shared it. I ate most of the slaw, and hubby the bread. The slaw was very sweet and simple - a bit too sweet for him, just right for me. Conversely, the corn bread was much too dense, greasy and bland for me. However, he enjoyed it a great deal. Admittedly, this was my first time having cornbread like this. It was tough and dense; it almost resembled polenta. The BBQ was great - even before we added sauce. It really doesn't need sauce; it has that delicious hickory smoked wood flavoring and it well balanced with sauce and spice. It was perfectly cooked and well balanced. Juicy, tender and soft. Plus, there weren't any nasty pieces of gristle or fat in what I had. If you watch my short video of them chopping the pork, you can hear the cracklins crunching. I find it interesting how they chopped the cracklins / skins in. I'm grossed out by skins, but hubby loves them. Having them in the BBQ didn't turn me off though. You get an occasional small crunch and extra burst of flavor - it tastes decent this way. I could take it or leave it (the added cracklins, but it didn't scare me away and I think most people would love it.) Definitely a great BBQ gem. Worth a stop anytime. PS: for those of you who kept reading... at the time of posting this, if you check in on Yelp ahead of ordering, you get a free drink. read more

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Fantastic Eastern Carolina BBQ. I had some time in Raleigh and decided to swing by hearing all the acclaim: it's worth the trip. I forgot about the cracklin mixed in and boy was I happy on the crunch. Quite succulent, sauce isn't needed, but available if you want something extra. Even got to see the man do the chop. Slaw is great too, not heavy and a nice fresh comparison to the meat. read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

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Yesterday, I woke up in Los Angeles, and for lunch today, I had whole-hog BBQ, slaw, cornbread, and banana pudding at the Skylight Inn. Wonderful meal. Great price. I went to the back and saw one 190-pound hog was being smoked (18 hours over hickory coals). Couldn't be more pleased! Worth the 2000+ mile trip! read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - 190-lbs whole hog being smoked 18 hours on hickory coals. Wonderful smell! Yummy too! - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

Gets My Vote for BEST BBQ in North Carolina. I have eaten every style of BBQ available over the past 40 years at some of the landmark locations / best restaurants for BBQ in NC, SC, TX, GA, and TN. The BBQ served here is one of my absolute favorites. Highly recommended. read more

Definitely worth the visit, they make some of the best pork bbq I've had, we got the feed the family and it was perfect for 3, the baked beans were wonderful, good corn bread, and it all washed down nicely with sweet tea! read more

Was excited to try some good smoked bbq. But was disappointed. It could be the day and time i went. Monday 10am first customer. Ordered ribs and chicken to go and they even gave me an extra bag of ribs, which I thought was kind at the moment. But when tasted it I knew right away why they gave me extra, it was old and if you know pork is not the best for leftovers I couldn't even eat it. They basically had me pay them to throw out their old food. read more

The best place to experience the Carolina BBQ. Located in an open rural field, this place gives you most peaceful landscape as you enjoy a comforting platter of bbq. The three of us were able to share the family meal which came with pork or chicken, cornbread, and two sides. We chose baked beans and cole slaw. We also got the pineapple cake slice and banana bread pudding. I liked the banana bread pudding a bit more though. The pineapple cake was a little dry. If i had to compare it to the other bbq (more Texas inspired i guess), The baked beans wasn't as sweet (and had chunks of meat), the cornbread was more dense and not sweet at all, and the cole slaw was less Mayo-y and more vinegary and fresh (you could taste the veggies). My favorite was probably the pork though. It had these crispy pork pieces that made this place so special. Their service is also awesome and they offered two standard bbq sauces - the vinegary Carolina style and the sweet, spicy, saucy. I loved both. read more

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SOOOOOO disappointed. I love BBQ and have had been many places. On a road trip down 95 I finally made it a plan to detour and stop finally. Pig was dry and very little flavor. So so so disappointed. Wife had half a yard bird. Eh. Nothing special. Beans were very plain and tomatoey. Half step above straight out of a can. There was a little port in it. Potato salad was ok. Wow I was looking forward to this. (Note to self.....I realize more and more my home bbq and sides is very good) read more

Our return trip from the OBX to RDU was carefully planned to take us out of our way so we could hit Skylight, Bum's and Cain's Grill. We also got the benefit of a nice drive through the Carolina coastal plain. We drove from Kill Devil Hills to New Bern and on the way made our first stop at Skylight Inn. I made this a mission for this trip. We usually don't travel into this part of NC when we are here. So lunch at Skylight lived up to my expectations. I had mine on a sandwich and kind of wanted another one, but we had decided that we would have one to compare at Bum's since we were in town. I loved the pure pork flavor and enjoyed crunching on the outside bits that they leave on. This is as good as it gets and I'm thinking we may have to start driving to the OBX by way of Ayden and on to New Bern and take the Cedar Island Ferry. This is something to be experienced. It is pure Eastern NC barbecue and I loved it. I don't think the adherents of heavily sweet sauced pulled pork or ribs would "get it". I fell in love with the style while living in Fayetteville 30 years ago. This is special. The only tiny drawback, as Fred B pointed out, is that the meat is not kept hot and ours was just a little above room temperature, even though there was a line of people (11:45am) and it was being constantly freshly chopped. Remember you are going here for the pork. The only side is slaw. What a great joint! read more

I hold the following truths as self-evident: - That Pork, and only Pork is involved in Barbeque. (I enjoy (and even produce) a mean Brisket every now and then - but alas, Beef is not Pork, and therefore not Barbeque) - That Whole Hog is superior to Picnic/Shoulder/Boston Butt alone when it comes to Barbeque. - That the natural qualitative place of sauces begins at the top with a simple vinegar/pepper solution, followed by an unsweet tomato-based sauce, with the mustard-based sauces holding up the bottom. ____________________ My mild and gentle opinions expressed, I now begin (as unworthy as I may be to do so) my "review" of the Skylight Inn. The sandwich itself presents the perfect triumverate of all that is good. At center stage is the whole-hog barbeque itself. the complete union of our porcine pal, celestial slaw, and beneficent bun (getting my illiteration out of the way early) presents itself on the palate much as a tiding comforts the weary wanderer. OK - seriously. The pilgrimage to Skylight Inn is one that the cognoscenti either have, or are planning to embark upon. It's conveniently located near NoWhere, NC. You're not going to find yourself just "driving by" - it WILL be your destination, and once you arrive, it's very likely that the way you came will be the way you go back. Nonetheless, you make the trip because it is a rare opportunity to eat the barbeque our founding fathers themselves ate prior to licking their fingers. It IS the old-school method, and it's alive and well here - in its simplest and unadulterated form. Naysayers can summarily be dismissed. As you can see, I've tried hard to give a middle-of-the road write-up here. It's been hard to remain unbiased, but I did my best. :) p.s. - check out the pictures! p.p.s. Google "Munchies Skylight Inn" on YouTube for a great mini-documentary on this legend. read more

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Items Selected: Chopped Pork Slaw Cornbread Located in Ayden North Carolina, a town of just under 5000, and serving up what many have called the best North Carolina style whole pig barbecue since it was known as Pete Jones BBQ one could say that Skylight Inn is one of those places that needs to be experienced in order to be understood, and traveling to Raleigh from Virginia Beach "The Capital of Barbecue" turned out to be everything that was promised - all along a small residential roadside, beneath a white dome, with fields and a collard greens stand nearby. Small in size, with rickety tables and modest décor consisting largely of local photos and a few awards, our arrival at Skylight Inn occurred just steps behind a small party of locals as well as officers from the State Highway Patrol, and waiting our turn in line as country music was interrupted by the "chop, chop, chop" of cleavers behind the counter the ordering process was simple - one plate of chopped pork beneath a layer of slaw and savory cornbread, two unsweetened teas, and another wedge of cornbread bagged to go. Featuring Chicken on weekends, and ribs as well as porkrinds in limited quantities, but largely focused on the old adage "do one thing and do it right," it should probably go without saying that with 50+ years in the business and crowds gathering for such a small menu the pork is indeed "destination worthy" meat and with light vinegar notes pleasantly balanced by the sweet slaw an ample amount of crispy skin adds plenty of crunch and brine to each bite while the protein itself is smooth, supple, and moist without being 'wet,' a similar statement applicable to the toothsome cornbread which features a slight flex before it breaks - a best bite made by a drizzle of Texas Pete, a bit of slaw, and plenty of meat eaten sandwich style between a halved slice. read more

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I don't get the draw. Nothing special or good here. Meat had crisp chunks, felt like chopped up bones to me - hubby said he *thinks* it was crispy skin. In either case - most every bite had a piece - yuk!! Besides that the pork was blah and had chunks of fat and cartilage. Grandsons had the chicken, skin was soft and mushy. It looked done - but was blah too. It was NOT worth our extra effort to drive there!! That said, the prices were good and they were packed. Maybe I just don't like North Carolina whole hog bbq!! I would not recommend - most of what we were served went into the trash. read more

Believe the hype! Tom and I have sampled the pork from Skylight Inn twice before during the Big Apple BBQ block party in 2013 & 2014. However, since we were driving down to Orlando, we decided to go whole hog and get the whole hog direct from the source. Wood-smoked, chopped and topped with a vinegar based sauce, we both agreed this is some of the best pork we've ever had. Oh, and their BBQ chicken, coleslaw and corn cake (super dense bread?) are only very good. ;) Pro tip: Come here for lunch and get takeout for dinner! read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Wood-smoked, hand-chopped, whole hog BBQ. - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

It's not fancy, but no one expects it to be, it's just the best whole hog BBQ in Eastern North Carolina! So don't go by Looks, it's what comes out of the smoker that counts! read more

The BBQ here is life-changing. This is the best whole-hog chopped BBQ I have ever had. I usually avoid chopped pork bbq but not at this joint. Skylight is very unique in that they include pig skin into the meat. With every bite, you will be pleasantly surprised by the tiny pieces of crunchy skins, which add tremendously to the flavor and overall eating experience. Just make sure that you eat the food at the restaurant, instead of getting take-out. I did that once and the pig skin was no longer as crunchy by the time I got home within 10 minutes or so. read more

I had to get on the laptop to write this review. I was so happy that I was able to visit the Skylight Inn and eat there. It has been on my bucket list of places I want to eat for awhile. My husband only has Wednesdays off. I gave him advanced notice that I wanted to go and we took a little staycation in NC. They aren't just the self-proclaimed "BBQ Capital of the World." They are. Well for NC BBQ. We drove through Kinston, veered right on Old NC 11 and not a mile down the road on the left there it was. The white capital top of the Skylight Inn. It was as though I was a child again on a school trip the excitement that I felt. I reviewed my husband's ordering options with him again. Husband: "What do they have on the menu?" Me: BBQ, cornbread (Not Jiffy. Old fashion, hearty, not sweet), and coleslaw. They may have dessert. Husband: "What other sides?" Me: "No." Husband: "No, hushpuppies or beans?" Me: Nope. With that, I jump out the car and arrive at the door in .2 seconds. I open the door and the unassuming layout looks just like on the various TV shows. To my right, there are pictures of presidents that have signed pictures and other people. I was too busy to care. I was there! I seem to have a knack for arriving after the rush and we were second in line to order. We looked at the simple menu (Why you ask? Of course I KNEW WHAT WAS ON THERE but there are sizes to choose from). Bruce Jones, the current owner and son of the founder, was right in front of me. I recognized his face but wasn't sure as I was too busy looking at the menu to pull it together and ask for a picture. They recommended a small since we were trying it. HA! I wanted to ask for a LARGE but being a lady I settled on medium. My husband copied me. $6.50 each. BBQ, coleslaw, and cornbread. I received a free drink for checking in with Yelp! SCORE. We ordered a small for my five-year-old. Mr. Jones had it ready as we completed the order. We sat down, blessed the food, and dove in. Oh my goodness. It was so lovely. I think I hummed. I looked at the wall and saw a James Beard Medallion! They won a James Beard. My husband was in love. I've seen that look of awe and admiration on his face before. He started talking to me, but I couldn't respond. I didn't need cornbread or slaw. I just ate more and more succulent, moist, smokey, tender, and juicy deliciousness. The crispy skin that was also chopped into the meat was a wonderful textural element that made me wonder why others don't do this typically. Then we added their sauce. It is vinegar based with peppers. Hubby usually hates any heat and he was pouring it over the meat. My little one took one bite of cornbread and didn't eat another. He doesn't like coleslaw. I didn't pay him any attention sadly until I noticed I was done with my portion. My husband was on his last 1/4th and my son had a full plate. I snuck pieces off my preschooler's plate. When his father looked up he noticed I was done. Surprisingly, as I never finish anything when we go out. My son had begun to eat his too. He told us to leave his plate alone. My husband got back on line and ordered a BBQ sandwich (for research, lol) as well as a pound of pork to go. We should have gotten two. It $11 for a pound. This is turning into a blog post versus review so I'll wrap it up. We met Mike "Chopper." Who chops the meat with cleavers made just for him. We were able to hold and inspect one. It's heavy and he uses two simultaneously. We also saw the BBQ pit, met the Pitmaster, and saw whole hogs (my husband told me to not say pigs) slow roasting. It is hot in there. Their fireplace has recently been redone. I had read and seen on TV that it was done every year or year and a half due to the heat. It was an awesome visit and we will be back. NOTE: On Thursday - Saturday they also serve chicken. 1/4 and a 1/2. They also have skins (pork rinds) available for $3 read more

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One of the staples of Carolina Whole Hog bbq, Skylight was my first stop on the BBQ trail. The star of the show was the meat of course that was well chopped Carolina style with a nice spice vinegar sauce. All meals are served with a wedge of savory corn bread and slaw. The meat has skin included for extra flavor and a little crisp nuggets of goodness. Honestly it was good but not great as it was a little on the dry side, their fancier cousin up the road in Greenville was much better. read more

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This place is off the beaten path but worth a drive. Try and get there earlier so they still have everything. My family and I got there a bit late in the day, and they were sold out of the chicken and potato salad. We ordered the large bbq tray and got coleslaw, baked beans and corn bread on the side. The whole hog bbq with bits of crispy skin is out of this world good! We really enjoyed it. We loved the bbq sauces! I should've bought a bottle to take home. I wasn't impressed with the corn bread, it's a bit tough and lacked flavor. I would not order that again. The CAKES we tried (chocolate and pineapple) were AMAZING! It's worth a drive just to get the dessert alone. Priced were very reasonable! Service was prompt and friendly. We definitely would return if given the chance to go back to NC! read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Cute shirts! - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

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Food is better than Sam Jones in my opinion. Not as flashy here but better food. Always smells so good when you drive by or go in. Work trying! read more

So worth the drive. Excellent pork and great eastern Carolina sauces. Sides are great as well. Banana pudding is not your standard but is fabulous. read more

This was hands down the best bbq thus far I have had and I have had quite a bit. Loved that they still keep it simple to just the meat and a couple sides and a big piece of cornbread on top. Be ready to wait as they are always busy and make sure you have cash and its cash only. The bbq your typical eastern NC whole hog with pieces of crispy skin within. If you need some more sauce try their house vinegar sauce, nice sweet vinegar taste-wish I had some at home read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina