Need your Q recommendations for a trip to Raleigh-Durham NC

Bullocks in Durham is really good. Sadly lots of old family owned bbq places are closing.


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Stamey’s is the local Gboro joint that everyone talks about. Personally I think it’s living on its reputation but is right off the highway if you happen to be here around mealtime.


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Backyard BBQ off Hwy. 55

Check out Picnic in North Durham. I think it's some of the best barbecue in the triangle area.

There's really not much...I went to school in Raleigh (NC State) and most of the BBQ I tried out there was pretty poor.

The Pit was not too bad, but not really something I would recommend. High prices and decent enough food, but nothing that really amazed or wowed me.

I've heard that Clyde Coopers BBQ is pretty good, but I never actually ate there.

In my opinion eastern NC BBQ is pretty abrasive with all that distilled vinegar, and it just wrecks an entire meal. One of the main reasons I learned how to BBQ was because I couldn't find any decent BBQ at restaurants. Everything is just soaking in distilled vinegar and that's such an unappealing flavor for people, like myself, who didn't grow up drinking vinegar with my Sunday dinners.

Congrats to your son for kicking butt though and I hope he performs well!

Tricky said:

Thanks all -- if there is any specific type of local/regional speciality I should try let me know. But I'm assuming its really just pulled pork with a Lexington dip style thin vinegar sauce. I like that just fine -- but have had so much of it (I make my own) that I'm hankerin' for something new.

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Lexington style is more in the western side of the state...in Raleigh / Durham there will be no tomato in the sauce at all...it is just straight distilled white vinegar. If you're lucky you'll find a place using apple cider vinegar, but outside of Skylight Inn / Sam Jone's BBQ I haven't found a place out here doing that.

SmoothBoarBBQ said:

There's really not much...I went to school in Raleigh (NC State) and most of the BBQ I tried out there was pretty poor.

The Pit was not too bad, but not really something I would recommend. High prices and decent enough food, but nothing that really amazed or wowed me.

I've heard that Clyde Coopers BBQ is pretty good, but I never actually ate there.

In my opinion eastern NC BBQ is pretty abrasive with all that distilled vinegar, and it just wrecks an entire meal. One of the main reasons I learned how to BBQ was because I couldn't find any decent BBQ at restaurants. Everything is just soaking in distilled vinegar and that's such an unappealing flavor for people, like myself, who didn't grow up drinking vinegar with my Sunday dinners.

Congrats to your son for kicking butt though and I hope he performs well!

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Eastern NC BBQ can be fantastic if it's done right - cooked over hardwood coals with just a splash of finishing sauce during chopping. Unfortunately many of the eastern NC Q joints switched to gas and thought they could make up for the lack of flavor by using more sauce. There's no excuse for a restaurant pouring on so much vinegar that that's all you taste.

It's been a long time since I lived in eastern NC, so I'm out of touch with the BBQ scene there now. I would say take a side trip to Goldsboro, but I heard that Wilber's closed down recently. What a shame - they did eastern style Q the right way. I never made it to the Skylight Inn, but it sounds like that might be one of the only places left that does it right. Come to think of it, didn't Sam Jones open a place in the Raleigh area recently?

Monkey Uncle said:

Eastern NC BBQ can be fantastic if it's done right - cooked over hardwood coals with just a splash of finishing sauce during chopping. Unfortunately many of the eastern NC Q joints switched to gas and thought they could make up for the lack of flavor by using more sauce. There's no excuse for a restaurant pouring on so much vinegar that that's all you taste.

It's been a long time since I lived in eastern NC, so I'm out of touch with the BBQ scene there now. I would say take a side trip to Goldsboro, but I heard that Wilber's closed down recently. What a shame - they did eastern style Q the right way. I never made it to the Skylight Inn, but it sounds like that might be one of the only places left that does it right. Come to think of it, didn't Sam Jones open a place in the Raleigh area recently?

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Skylight Inn and Sam Jones BBQ (Greenville, NC) do it right...still cooking whole hog over wood coals, and then after it's chopped they add their flavoring ingredients : apple cider vinegar, salt, black pepper, and hot sauce. They also use the apple cider vinegar sparingly and it gives the pork a nice twang without being a full on vinegar-bomb. Something they do that others don't is they crisp up the skin and then mix into the chopped pork...amazing!

Wilburs did indeed shut down and so has most of the long time places around here. Whole hog BBQ is just not very profitable and with Carolina farmers being sued left and right the hog supply isn't what it used to be.

I've eaten at maybe 20 different places out here and Sam Jones / Skylight Inn are just about the only exception to the vinegar-bomb in my experience. I serve BBQ lunch on a Marine Corps base (Camp Lejeune) and SOOOOO many people come to my truck and ask about the pork...when I tell them it's NOT eastern NC style their eyes and face light up like a Christmas tree. haha Oddly enough most of my regulars are from Texas and Florida.

Tricky said:

Oh, we’ll be flying in and out of RDU but will actually be heading to Greensboro once we’re there, so I’m interested in joints in that area too (and along the way to and from). Thanks

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Sent you a PM with some Greensboro recs.

Q Shack in Durham to me is the most consistent Q around. Bbq is good and brisket is consistently good and there smoked sausage is very good. they offer several variety of sauces. They have excellent sides also. I live 40 minutes away and still drive there regularly @ corner of 15 501 and university drive. Another Greensboro country bbq to me on Wendover Ave (there are 2) is the best in Greenboro. I get the coarse chopped and is very good. Ribs not so good. A little up the road in Lexington is Speedy's Bbq is great and be prepared to eat it's a lot.

If you're able to make it over to Lexington, as SmoothBoar mentioned... I HIGHLY recommend a family favorite:

Lexington Barbecue (aka "Honeymonk's")

100 Smokehouse Ln, Lexington, NC 27295

HUGE congratulations to your son! Have fun as the Proud Papa.... and safe travels.

Toss us some Pr0n as able.... please.

Hog Heaven in Durham is my choice in Durham area. It is on Gregson street right at I-85.
Don't over look Smithfield BBQ and Chicken.Ask for some rib sauce if you give them a try.