Joshua R. Craig Photography

Wilber’s Barbecue was the third stop on our whirlwind tour. We decided to play it smart and go visit The Cliffs of the Neuse State Park to walk off some of the first two lunches.

Wilber’s was my least favorite of the three. It wasn’t that it was bad, it was still tasty, but it just wasn’t able to hold up to B’s or The Skylight Inn.

Notes:

The sweet tea here was actually the best of the three and there was plenty of it. They bring out a large pitcher full of it and leave it on your table.

The collard greens were quite mushy and seemed like they had been cooked too long or pureed.

Here’s a link to the trail http://www.ncbbqsociety.com/trail_map.html

Stay tuned for the next exciting episode!

This is the second stop on our tour.  Second stop in an hour actually.  This is the Skylight Inn in Ayden, NC.  I’m pretty sure I saw this place on a Food Network show a couple of years ago.

Notes:

They mix some cracklin in with the meat to give it a nice crunch. The texture is odd at first, but you quickly forget about it when you realize how incredibly delicious it is.

Here’s a link to the trail http://www.ncbbqsociety.com/trail_map.html

Stay tuned for the next exciting episode!

So, today Liz and I began the first of many excursions to try and complete the North Carolina Barbecue Society’s Historic Barbecue Trail. It’s a challenge to discover exactly what North Carolina BBQ is like from East to West and to get out and enjoy some more of our state.

We’ve decided to document our discovery with photos and video. (Video is new.  Just got my 7D yesterday, so cut us some slack.)

Notes:

B’s is hands down the best pulled pork I have ever had.  It is tender, sweet and the sauce is amazing.

The staff is extremely courteous.  Plus, I love being called sweetheart by old ladies.

Get there early.  They open at 10 and close when they run out of food.

Here’s a link to the trail http://www.ncbbqsociety.com/trail_map.html

Stay tuned for the next exciting episode!