Barbecue tour - tag/photo fest

Agreed. Dixie lll has great diner food and lunch specials that are hard to beat. They even have above average seafood.

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Wilber's Barbecue
4172 Hwy. 70 East
Goldsboro, NC
Phone: 919.778.5218 or 919.778.5219

http://www.wilbersbarbecue.com/

This is one of those places that I've wanted to go to for a good while based primarily on its history. They celebrated their 50th year in business a few years ago. It's in Goldsboro meaning the ride from here is going to be a challenge to find an interesting route. We were heading within about 20 miles or so of there to grab a tag and saw this as the best opportunity. It was getting later in the day, so getting here for a late lunch was going to mean heading home via 4 lane, but, what the heck...



It's on a long stretch of Highway 70 on the east side of Goldsboro.


You're greeted by this sign by the front door when walking in:


Several pics of the menu:








Long rectangular place with several dining areas divided by doorways. The place was clean, but certainly has some miles on it.


Table service here. The wait staff was friendly and certainly competent. Younger folks for the most part.

Sauces were limited to plain vinegar and their house sauce. The vinegar has something growing in it. It was suggested by GS that it was a bacterial growth of some sort... :huh


Went generic and ordered a plate with fries and slaw.


This is where it gets tricky since I've really been looking forward to going here for several years. I thought the food was about as generic as I've ever had in any barbecue place. Everything was done well and I'd imagine that nothing on the menu has changed in 50+ years, but it was seriously uneventful. The barbecue was good, fresh and had nothing to detract from it. The sauce was, hate to say it, seriously bland. Slaw was decent utility slaw and the fries were well cooked frozen things. The hushpuppies were the real standout. Very fresh, crispy on the outside, moist inside with a great, clean flavor saying that the oil they were cooked in was fresh.

Very traditional place in just about every sense of the word and it hits the high marks on those counts. I'm mostly a traditional guy and it should have impressed me on those points, but it just didn't. I'm no fan of the new, trendy "barbecue" places popping up everywhere that try to do it all - ribs, brisket, sausage, etc - but had I not known the history of this place, I'd have left pretty disappointed. The places I've been to that I have really liked have all done one or more things very well. Better than anyone else. Wilber's forte seemed to be that they've been in business a long time.

Doubtful I'll go back. There's another place down the street that I stopped at a few years back on a business road trip that I recall being much better. And this place isn't a decent ride destination.

Everything is done on premesis, but if I had to come up with one word to describe this place, it would be "boring".

I went to Wilbers about 4 yrs ago..I thought it was good but i doubt it was as good as what i know now...history notwithstanding i'm very impressed with Johnson's Family BBQ circa 2013? They maybe new but they employ old fashioned traditonal methods of cooking by using a Hickory wood fire...Wilbers says nothing about how they cook their Q...Like I said elsewhere Johnsons is all i need to know...this thread has served its purpose...LOL

I agree with your take on Wilbur's. Completely overrated to me.

I headed up to Brevard yesterday to check out a Seat Concepts seat for my Terra. Grabbed two tags yesterday, road a bunch of great FS roads, then hit bike night at the Wedge for a total of 370 miles yesterday. On the way home today I was in Marion looking for a beer and sandwich for lunch when I smelled smoke. Not the bike thankfully but that sweet smell of cherry wood burning. I've stated my skepticism of Que west of I-95 before and even though I really wanted a beer I took a chance on this place:



As you can see in this pic they also pride themselves on their catfish:



After glancing at the menu I asked the young lady if I could order a sampler platter. She said I'd have to ask the owner Caleb. He was a nice guy who said I could add 3 ribs to my order for $3.99, a scoop of Que for a (maybe???) 1.99, and/or a piece of catfish for $1.50 ( I think). They use hams only cooked over cherry or oak. He said he'd love to use whole hog but it was to expensive. Naturally I asked about how it was served, i.e. was it pre-sauced. He said sauces were served on the side and he started rattling off various options that didn't interest me until he said the word vinegar. He saw the smile on my face and said I must be from down east. I went with the regular chopped plate with 2 sides and added the 3 ribs but I actually got 4.



The Que was moist but not wet. I dribbled a little of the vinegar sauce on it but could have eaten it without. The ribs? Wow! I don't usually order ribs due to cost vs. the amount of meet vs. the mess factor but these were great and loaded with meat. I almost hesitate to bring up the ribs because, no offense to others, but I kinda get annoyed when someone says you have to go eat at this Que place, because they have the best chicken. Nothing against chicken but please don't tell me how much you love a Que place but don't get their Que.

Anyway, both the Que and the ribs were excellent. Caleb came over to my table and asked how I liked everything especially the vinegar sauce. He said that is the only thing they don't make from scratch. They actually buy the spices for the vinegar sauce from someone down east and mix it in house with their own vinegar. I look forward to eating there again and encourage anyone traveling in that area to do so.

Absolutely, but until I've hit them all, this ain't anywhere near done.

Of the places I've been to in the last few years, there's only been two that I can remember that I'd avoid even if within sight and jonesing bad: Holden's north of Wake Forest and Danny's in and around RTP/Cary.

Wilber's says pit cooked over hickory and the last picture above is where it's done, I'd imagine. The smokehouse was quiet when we were there though.

Yep. Disappointing. I was really hoping to be blown away.

That place looks a lot like a place my son and I stopped at north of Winston Salem a year or so ago. We liked it, but King Jarhead said it's pretty much joked about by the locals.

I like western barbecue, but far prefer eastern. Both beat the shit out of that mustard-y crap from SC.
I like ribs, catfish, smoked sausage and chicken too, but don't like it when a place tries to do too many things. That said, I'd have done what you did and had to try everything - especially on a road trip.</snipped>

well WB I have no doubt this thread is faaaaaaarrrrr from being DONE...its good knowing what you find,,heh heh heh...and that suggestion of asking for a combo platter is an excellent idea too...

I passed by Johnson's yesterday on my way home from the Sandling at Falls Lake tag. I saw the guy out by the smoker cooking. I'm going to HAVE to try that place. No excuse since it's less than 10 minutes from the house!


BBQ Lodge is tricky. I have this mental block from being told over and over again how bad it is, the low inspection ratings they used to continually get on WRAL's "Five on Your Side" restaurant segment, etc. I just need to buck up and go grab lunch there one day.

Sounds good to me!

Johnson's is a rare find.

Just checked Barbecue Lodge's last three sanitation ratings and they were all 95+. I like them.

Had to go out to Greensboro today so I meet a friend at a place I have been to 2 other times...Stamey's BBQ on High Point Road acroos from the Greensboro Coliseum.... The first time i went there in 2010 i thought they were pretty good it was my first BBQ experience in NC. I had never eaten a hushpuppy before didnt even know what they were either... The 2nd time eating there i thought it was a little bland...today my 3rd time and much more educated on what is good Q...I have to say that Stamey's was Excellent...they cook/smoke their meats over a wood fire and today was just awesome. They have their own vinegar sauce on the table and it also was very good. The smoked flavor of the pork is similar to Johnson's Family BBQ...Stamey's has been in business 83 years...they have a nice sit down restaurant with a laid back country atmosphere...So if you find yourself down that way check them out ...I''d be very surprised to hear anything but glowing reviews...

Didnt occur to me to take any pictures...must've had a senior moment :eek1
Anyways heres their website...
http://stameys.com/

Thanks!
I've got a client near the Battleground Ave. location. I'll certainly give it a shot next time out that way.

Have not been to that location...High Point rd is the older location...they have an interesting website Didn't know they were the originators of hushpuppies!!!How cool is that?

JD's Smokehouse, Rutherford College, NC.

I had a kitchen pass for the weekend & headed to Pisgah for some riding & fishing. Saturday night, I hopped on yelp for some local bbq. JD's was highly rated. I recommend and can't wait to go back. The waitresses shirts "we have the best butts in town".

Stameys.. Great. My life long favorite.
Herseys in Burlington a close second. I like the sliced from both.

NCS

Well there you go...what better testimony can one get??? Just did a little read on Hursey's in Burlington...they sound every bit as good...will need to check them out too.

Hush puppies have been around a lot longer than Stameys.

They have above average quickly served BBQ and great customer service.

<>< Fish