My first time at The Prime Smokehouse and it was beautiful and amazing. From the moment my daughter and I walked in the door, we were greeted with warmth and a genuine southern hospitality. The black art and jazz music added to the vibrant atmosphere. The bar was snazzy and stylish, a nice spot where you just want to sit and relaxed awhile. I loved the painting on the wall near the grand piano. The food was flavorful and came out hot and on time. Our server was friendly and made our experience even more enjoyable. Rocky Mount is lucky to have a place like this. I highly recommend. read more

We're doing a road trip with the family from Philly to Miami and wanted a nice dinner spot. Quick google search and this amazing restaurant pops up. First, about a 10-15 min detour from 95, free parking, cute little area with restaurants and a hiking trail. Restaurant is beautiful. Staff are efficient and friendly. Made great recs. Food is fairly priced and most importantly delicious! The owners are at the restaurant, the chef Ed, who's also from Philly! Came out to speak to us. His wife Yalem is beautiful and brought us to our table. We would highly recommend to anyone! I'm going to have to come back because they sold out of the peach crisp :( read more

See all

Food was good. Service was slow. And that's being polite. I think there was a "lean" staffing at the time I arrived. A few new faces arrived about 4pm. I don't want to hear it. There wasn't a reason for me to still be there at 4pm. I waited 45 minutes for food. And this was after waiting too long for my order to be taken. This is BBQ, with premade side orders. Nothing is made to order. If this place has a staffing issue, then close between lunch and dinner like other restaurants that respect people's time. I'll add that it was NOT crowded. More tables than parties by far. Lastly, I'll reiterate that food was good but it was clearly reheated on the plate. I had brisket and ribs with potato salad, and Mac and cheese. This place is expensive and not worth the time or effort. Good BBQ may not be cheap but this was a waste of time and money. read more

The Prime Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Rocky Mount, North Carolina

Service and food were amazing!!!!We showed up later than their last seating after a 6 hour drive south but they insisted we come in and set us a table and made our night. You gotta eat here!!!!! Craig Rogers Aloha Custom Pools Dundas Ontario Canada read more

Stopped in for a birthday dinner. The building is a Cotton Mill that houses several different establishments. So immediately you feel "something" before entering. A very spacious place. A few different areas to sit in according to your comfort. Every one I interacted with went above and beyond with set and kindness. (I wonder if they knew it was my birthday). The ambiance is very relaxed and laid back. The food was delicious with very hearty portions! Unless you are sharing plates, be ready to carry home tomorrow's lunch! read more

See all

During my tour of East Cosst BBQ, i wanted to eat ina little nicer restaurant after waating in so many hol-in-the-wall dives. Based on the recommendation of the front desk clerk, I decided to check out Prime Smokehouse Upon walking into the restaurant, i was so hopeful based on the initial impression. The restaurant is located in a redeveloped fabric mill, and the interior is stylishly done with expansive views of the surrounding countryside and elegant jazz music playing in the background. I started a cup of the black bean chili which was accompanied by a small cornbread muffin. The cornbread was one of the best I have ever eaten; light, moist and just a touch of sweetness. However, the two item BBQ combination with brisket and hot links was a complete disappointment. Both items were dry and overcooked. I broke my cardinal rule of eating BBQ at a restaurant where other entrees are also being served. How can you focus on ma BBQ if you are distracted by making pasta and seafood also?? Atmosphere and service = 5 stars. Food = 3 stars read more

The Prime Smokehouse - BBQ combo - Barbeque Near Me - Rocky Mount, North Carolina

I wish I lived here just so I could come back more often! The ambiance is clean, bright, and elegant without feeling stuffy. The owner was thoughtful enough to stop by our table, and we had such a nice conversation--it really added a personal touch to the experience. We ordered fried green tomatoes, ribs, brisket, a burger, Spanish rice, beans, and mac & cheese, and every single dish was fantastic. You can tell a lot of care goes into both the food and the atmosphere. Highly recommend! read more

The best BBQ we've ever had! The ribs were fall-off-the-bone and melt-in-your-mouth delicious! Also enjoyed the mac and cheese, baked beans, chili, au gratin potatoes and the crab cakes. The ambiance is spectacular and the Chef (Ed Wiley III) and his author/co-owner wife (Yalem Kiros) and the staff are all lovely and professional. Drinks were great. Food was reasonably priced. Highly recommend. read more

The Prime Smokehouse - Prime Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Rocky Mount, North Carolina

Visited on a Saturday night right before a Jazz set and entry was 40.00 pp. I found that fee a little overpriced for the area giving I didn't know any of the artist but I wanted to try this restaurant. Everything was good. The sweet potato's had a ginger kick to it and the Mac n cheese could go for well doctrine box velvetta or kraft but still good. Beware that cornbread is 0.75 a pop. Taste like jiffy but hey! read more

Originally had a reservation for five but changed to three. No big deal. Got to the restaurant and there was no host at the front but a server did greet us and let us know someone will be right with us. The server then asked if I had a reservation and what name it was under. Gave him my name and he brought us to what we thought was our table. I gestured to him was this our table and he walked away to help someone else. We sat down and watched three other tables get seated without anyone coming over to greet us. We even saw the owner greet one of three other tables as well! Unacceptable! We got up and proceeded to leave. As we left, one server asked if we had a good time! read more

Yelp 100 Challenge- #33 Visited for a graduation dinner. Servers were friendly and checked in often. We started with dessert first. We tried their bread pudding and chocolate cake and the chocolate cake was my favorite. The bread pudding was tasty but the chocolate cake stole the show that my partner often reminds of it. Ordered their chicken wings, mac and cheese and greens and burger and fries. The Mac and cheese were delicious however I wasn't a huge fan of the greens. Menu Items Fried green Tomatoes Tenders Salads Soups Seafood Platter Burgers Smoked Chicken Wings Crab Cakes Philly Cheese There were several items on the menu that we will be back to try. read more

See all

I went here to celebrate my sister's birthday in February and it was an amazing experience. She wanted brunch so we went after church. First I must say that it's a beautiful atmosphere and the staff was really nice. I love that the chef came out to say hello and to make sure we were okay. Not to mention that it was my first time there. Loved every moment even went back to celebrate my birthday this month. We both had something different both times but it was delicious. We will definitely return for brunch or just to be in a good Adult atmosphere. read more

See all

We stayed at the Harvest Host site at Rocky Mount Mills and had dinner here. It was crowded but we were able to get a table for two on the early side for dinner. The menu was great, with photos of all of the food and too many good options. We enjoyed everything we ate. This included black bean brisket chili, the brisket platter, and three sides for my wife. The seasoning was spot on, especially on dishes that can be overdone like collards and sweet potatoes. I had a Red Tails Red Ale that was on sale for like $3 and we shared a key lime pie for dessert. The owner/chef was walking he dining room, checking in on guests and giving fist bumps to regulars. He checked in on us twice. I was looking quizzically at the bill on his second visit because I couldn't believe how cheap it was. I thought they had forgotten or comped something. I told him he wasn't charging enough for the quality of food he was serving. He said he wants to give people a good value. He does indeed. read more

See all

Everything here is good. The food is good, the drinks are good and the view is good. Service is great and the staff is very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. I make sure I come by every time I'm in town. Highly recommended read more

The Prime Smokehouse - Chili - Bowl - Barbeque Near Me - Rocky Mount, North Carolina

See all

I made a reservation to come into town for my mother's birthday to have brunch with her. I will describe the service, food, ambiance, and include things that could have been better. I arrived before my mother who is 74 so that I could check for close parks for her. Even with handicap parking, there are still a lot of steps to maneuver. We noticed on the way out that there is a path without stairs. So that was good. When I arrived inside the restaurant, there was no one at the hostess stand but I went to bar and the bartender was able to seat me and the party behind me. Our waitress DOMINIQUE was the best. The way she treated my talkative mother was amazing. She didn't rush off and she was on top of everything. I had two sangrias and a peach margarita, and my mother had two Long Island ice teas. The drinks were 5-stars. I ordered the burger with fries and my mom ordered the beef sandwich (similar to a Philly cheesesteak). We had enough food on each plate for 2 people. We also ordered food to go so I could take food home for dinner and so she wouldn't have to cook when she got back home. The 2-meat plates were great!! I will come back to visit. This time, I will bring the whole family. read more

The food was delicious and the service was excellent. My disappointment was in the Bar service. I had a cocktail and a mixed drink and I could not taste the alcohol in either. I would still highly recommend giving them a try. The main course of crab cakes with sides were outstanding . read more

The Prime Smokehouse - Crab Cakes - Barbeque Near Me - Rocky Mount, North Carolina

Must go if in the area! Food was fantastic, service was friendly. Many stopped by our table to make sure all was well. Highly recommended.. We did brisket, smoked links, Texas bbq, coke slaw, collards, cornbread all made from scratch in house and you can taste it. We shared a bottle of wine and were unfortunately too full for dessert, We found this place with on an online search while traveling along I 95 and will definitely stop again when out this way. read more

There was a roach in the bathroom. They had powder on the floor which I'm assuming is for extermination which means they have a roach problem won't be back here again. read more

The Prime Smokehouse - A roach - Barbeque Near Me - Rocky Mount, North Carolina

Food is fantastic! Server was amazing! But we waited over 1 1/2hr for our food, from the time we ordered. Been here a few times. Most disappointing experience. A couple sat down after us, got their food, and left before we got our salads. read more

We stopped in last night for a quick bite. Only waited 2 mins for some drinks and 4 mins for a beer. Food was good wait staff was top notch. If you are here in Rocky Mount eat here. read more

The Prime Smokehouse - Gumbo - Barbeque Near Me - Rocky Mount, North Carolina

See all

The service at this place was terrible. We waited over an hour for our food, and it wasn't even hot. I will never go back. read more

See all

Good service. Brisket was excellent as was spinach lasagna! Jazz music is very relaxing and inviting. Will def return:)

Good food Only negative would be constancy. Same meal diff day completely diff. Both were good just not what I was looking forward to. read more

Had high hopes for this place a 2nd time and was Disappointed I ordered the 3 smoke meat combo. It was a disappointment left hunger and searching for on another spot to eat on yelp. Brisket came out with bbq sauce I knew right then it was dry. An I was right straight leather and the ribs dry. My wife ordered the fish platter. It was a Disappointment fish tasted like it was in the freezer forever had a soapy taste to it read more

On our way to Florida, the restaurant was recommended by the staff member at our hotel, during check in. The restaurant is located in an old mill building in town that really cannot be understated. I wish we had been able to explore a little. It was a Wednesday evening, around 7pm and we did not have a reservation. the place was quite busy but we were seated almost immediately. Our bartender/waitperson, Teresa, was accommodating and knowledgeable of the menu. I chose the Seafood Gumbo, along with Mac n Cheese and Cole Slaw while my wife went with lighter fare and ordered a Caesar Salad along with Cole Slaw. After a long day we declined any dessert. The menu looked terrific and I hope to be able to stop in again. read more

The Prime Smokehouse - The bar and main dining room - Barbeque Near Me - Rocky Mount, North Carolina

Really cute place! Got there when they opened for lunch yesterday. Really wanted to try the beef, but eating too much lately. I went with the turkey sandwich. Didn't know it was a cold sandwich, but it was tasty. Huge, so I had to take off one bun to finish. Waitress was nice but never asked if I wanted a refill on my iced tea. I might come back to try their other items next time. Plenty of parking across the building. read more

The Prime Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Rocky Mount, North Carolina

We made a reservation for my daughter's 18th birthday and unfortunately had a very disappointing experience. We arrived at 5:30 PM, but were not seated until 7:50 PM, despite having a reservation. That is simply unacceptable when you reserve a table, it should be available at the scheduled time. To make matters worse, we didn't receive our food until around 9:00 PM. When it finally arrived, it was not hot and did not meet expectations in terms of quality. While the restaurant looks nice inside, that was the only positive part of our experience. Overall, the service and food did not reflect the level of professionalism or care we expected, especially for such a special occasion. Never again! read more

The smoke called me back... we had a much more pleasant experience than ours 2 yrs ago when we drove 30 miles for takeout and discovered that they were not offering takeout service. This time we were in the area on business and thought, what the heck! Let's give it another try. This time we were pleasantly surprised when we were able to order takeout and the service and vibe were much better! It was midweek so it wasn't very busy, but there were certainly customers dining and grabbing food to go like us. Then to top it all off, the food was fabulous and smoky! read more

See all

Found this gem right off 95 on our drive home, we got extremely lucky that on Saturday night we were able to be seated as walk ins without a reservation. This was outstanding from the moment we arrived. That southern charm and hospitality is there first off. We were luckily seated within maybe 10-15minutes of getting to the hostess stand. We were seated and our server took some time to get to us but they were extremely busy. We started off with the lump crab cakes and the MP made sense as it was all crab and almost no cake with a delicious dipping sauce. I ordered a small seafood gumbo and rice as I wasn't super hungry. The small portion I had was so filling I'm glad I didn't order the large portion. My boyfriend ordered the three meat platter and the brisket and ribs were phenomenal and well seasoned. We personally weren't fans of the pulled pork, I think it was the tangy sauce that came on it was why. The potatoes au gratin were absolutely amazing and worth every calorie. A must try side on their menu. The ginger yams were different and delicious. We were stuffed but our server talked us into the double churned ice cream that was made in house, it was amazing and we rolled out of this restaurant from our meal. read more

See all

Excellent, fun atmosphere. Upscale of sorts! Service was fine. Checked on us, nicely, kept waters refilled. Love the jazz playing in background. Live jazz music offered other days. BBQ is mainstage. Soul food, a touch of New Orleans. Something for everyone, and a kids menu. We had the smoked wings, spicy. Wasn't a kick I was expecting. Seemed old, dry, no flavor. Slaw was just ok, a bit sweet, couldn't taste the horseradish kick. Clam chowder was full of chewy clams, broth a bit thin, but flavorful. My date enjoyed 16 oz ribeye, cooked medium, but saw no pink in it. BBQ beans and a side salad with housemade ranch. He enjoyed it all. We are cutting sugar and tasted it in slaw and beans, so skipped dessert. Would visit again, to try other items. read more

The Prime Smokehouse - Clam chowder - Barbeque Near Me - Rocky Mount, North Carolina

See all

Was looking for a lunch spot on our way from Maryland to Hilton Head, this was right in the middle. The area is super cute, historic and industrial at the same time. The building and restaurant looked really nice and clean. We had higher hopes for the food based on other Yelp reviews. My daughter and I shared the brisket plate, with the two sides of macaroni and cheese and au gratin potatoes. My husband got the Philly Brisket Cheesesteak. We were expecting more a typical Philly cheesesteak, but it was more like a drier steak sandwich with lettuce and tomato. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. The waitress seemed very nice but she could have provided better service. I asked if the brisket was moist or lean, and explained I liked moist much better than lean. She responded that based on some off phrase I didn't understand, that it was moist. Although the brisket was tender, it was lean, not moist and the portion was tiny. Yet the two sides were huge, portions were off. We had to ask for utensils after the food had arrived, and plates and water refills. I understand she seemed to be busy but these are simple things that shouldn't be asked for. BBQ/smoked food doesn't need to be fancy, it just needs to be good. We're not from the area so we'll probably not be back. read more

The Prime Smokehouse - Brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Rocky Mount, North Carolina

See all

I ordered the 2 item special. I ordered the brisket and the pulled pork. The brisket! OMG! It was the best thing on the table. It simply fell apart with just a slight press of the fork. It was well flavored and not too fatty! It was perfect. The pork was only ok. It was but dry, and they did not bring any bbq sauce. I had to ask for it. My sides were the potato salad and baked beans. The baked beans were sweet and had a smoky flavor at the same time. The potato salad was only ok. It was good, but nothin b extra special. The Mac and cheese was wonderful! It was had a sharp flavor and was a perfect blend of creamy, yet textured delight. The service.... Not so greats we arrived at around 8:45, so maybe they were in closing mode. Not good at all. I ordered cornbread that they completely forgot, and they never offered desert. When I asked about it, they said "it's because we're closing soon". It was also difficult to get extra service once the food was on the table. They came and literally cleaned the table before I was even finished. As in... I had to grab my glass because I still had tea in it! Like I said... it was close to closing time, so it was obvious that the focus was on closing versus service. I'd say, try it out, come early, and eat the brisket! Here's the kicker... the owner came by to introduce himself, we told him what happened, and he was on it! Very accommodating and very apologetic. We will come back! read more

See all

This is my go to place when I'm in Rocky Mount. Food is amazing! Drinks are good too. read more

See all

Hubby and I stopped in during road trip from SC. What an amazing place! . It's in a rehabbed cotton mill factory. The setting is gorgeous. Our server " V" was beyond wonderful. She made great suggestions and was very attentive. We ordered BBQ pork, brisket, gumbo, and the best collard greens and sweet potatoes I've ever tasted. The menu is epic and full of southern specialities. The only negative was the parking. The entire complex of mill establishments is huge and the lot was full when we arrived. Be prepared to walk a ways from your car. We will definitely be back next time we are in Rocky Mount. If we lived closer, We'd definitely try and make one of their Friday night jazz events. read more

The food...what can I say? I'm having dreams about it. Told to try this place by local law enforcement and they did not steer us wrong. We had a party of 10 and everyone was pleased with the service and their food choice. I had the three-meat combo platter (beef brisket, pulled pork, and smoked links). It was so delicious that I didn't even touch my sides. Next time I come through this area, I'm stopping here for dinner. Don't sleep on this restaurant. read more

Amazing food, service and great outdoor view. I had the bronzed chicken and my husband had the bbq pork & sausage. Best meal we've had in a very long time. read more

Food was great! Service was awesome! Ambiance was delightful! Plenty of available parking.

I hate to do this - it pains me in fact. But I just had an unacceptable experience trying to go here again last weekend. I get it was Saturday Night - but I set up a reservation and then called on our way there to move the timing to 7:30 PM, as we were driving in from the Outer Banks. I am not exaggerating - we probably drove 100 miles out of our way to come here, but I felt the food was worth it. But we were told over the phone it would be no problem at all to move the reservation. Well, we got to the Prime Smokehouse and the line in front of the establishment was uncontrolled chaos. A host/hostess came out maybe twice in 30 minutes with a bunch of folks waiting to be seated, both with and without reservations. You had to be assertive to even get anyone's attention and that's just not my personality! Finally, frustrated beyond belief, after maybe moving two spots in line and getting passed by multiple people who came in after me, I just decided to leave. This was so, so disappointing. Nothing much else to say - I won't be back. read more

Had the ribs, ginger yams, collard greens and corn bread. All were absolutely amazing! 1st time having collard greens. I was hesitant, but being an adventurous northerner, tried them based on a recommendation. I was very impressed, had some smoked turkey in it. I will definitely have these again. Wait staff made great recommendations and was very attentive! The chef came out and introduced himself. Fantastic man who definitely pours his heart and soul into the business. Whenever I am back in the area this will be my stop! read more

Fantastic barbecue and great ambience. My wife and I each had a sampler platter, which ended up being both a full meal and enough to take home. We loved the buzzy ambience. Highly recommend for a night out with a date or with friends. read more