We made another ride down NC 11 to pay a visit to Sam Jones BBQ in Winterville, NC. After seeing them on TV and reading many reviews and articles about them we just had to check them out for ourselves and for you. Are they really all that? Can anyone live up to that much publicity? Well those were just a couple of questions we had when we hit the road. Stay with me and see how it turns out.

Where’s Sam Jones BBQ Located?

Sam Jones BBQ is located in Winterville, NC on Fire Tower Rd. Really easy to find, just off of Highway 11 south of Greenville, NC. As I have said in the past to all those Jeep Peeps, NC 11 is a very nice ride. Maybe not so much on the 98 degree day that we chose but still fun.

The Restaurant and Staff:

Sam Jones BBQ is in a brand new building. Talking with Michael, the manager and a partner, we learned more about the whole business. He told us that he and Sam have been friends for years. They went to school together and both had worked at Sam’s family bbq business, Skylight Inn BBQ in Ayden. Michael said that a few years after college he talked with Sam about wanting to get back into the bbq business and they came up with the plans to open Sam Jones BBQ. They hired an architect to design the restaurant with the top priority being to set the “atmosphere”. They did an excellent job. The outside of the restaurant resembles an old warehouse and the smokehouse is right beside it. Inside the look is new but gives you an old fashion feeling. They have high ceilings and a large dining area. It is a beautiful place they have built.

So does all this sound too fancy for a bbq joint? Not at all. As nice as it is, everyone there was down to earth and very friendly. From the minute we walked in and went to the counter to order we were met by friendly and excellent service. The young people waiting the tables were awesome. They stayed on top of everything going on and made sure you were checked on continuously so that you had anything you needed. A couple of them were so nice and hardworking I thought about asking Tammy if we could adopt them.

Our Choices at Sam Jones BBQ:

Are you catching on about this place yet? Sam Jones brought the old style whole hog bbq to this restaurant along with other family recipes. The difference here is that they wanted to expand the menu a little to include ribs, turkey, and some extra sides. All the meats are smoked in the smokehouse next door except the hamburger that they just added to the menu. I was told that it is killer but we weren’t there for a burger.

 

Naturally I went for a 3 meat tray. Well I could have gone with a 4 meat but I didn’t. You’ll see why as you read. My tray came with Chopped BBQ, Smoked Chicken, and Ribs. For the sides I chose Fresh Cut Fries and Baked Beans. The tray also comes with a square of old fashioned cornbread.

As I mentioned before, Sam Jones BBQ cooks the whole hog to make their bbq. I’ll just cut the chase and tell you that it is awesome. They mix in different cuts of meat and pieces of crunchy skin and chop it up to make some delicious bbq. The little pieces of skin give you a bit of crunch that really sets them apart from others. The bbq is great just as it is served but I also tried their Eastern NC Sweet Heat Sauce. It was wonderful both ways. The sauce is not too sweet or too hot.

Next we have the ribs. They serve large spare ribs that are smoked to near perfection. I normally prefer baby back ribs but these were very good. Large, meaty, and falling off the bone good. Sam Jones BBQ also has a Sweet Rib Sauce. I tried it on my ribs and I really enjoyed them with or without sauce. I would also say that this sauce is not too sweet but just right.

And then there was the chicken. Yes, I voluntarily ordered chicken. I went for the white meat which is a breast and a wing. I tried the wing first just to make some room on my tray. You gotta start somewhere, right? I thought it was pretty good as far as chicken goes. Well after I made a round on my tray trying everything else I came back to the breast. When I stuck my fork in it the juices just started to flow. I may have raised an eyebrow at that point. Ok, I thought, the breast is pretty juicy and that’s impressive. Well juicy and also fully cooked. Some people have juicy chicken because it’s under cooked. Once I started eating this breast I was very impressed. Juicy, moist, tender, and great smoke flavor, what more can you ask for?

 

That about covers my meat choices. You may wonder about the sides. Can they live up to the smoked meats? Oh yeah! My fresh cut fries were great and my baked beans were out of this world. The beans have hamburger mixed in along with a wonderful sauce. After eating I went back and bought a side of them to take home. I love those beans. And their cornbread. Now as I said, it is old fashioned. Some people will not care for it because they are looking for some sweet bread. This is your grandmother’s cornbread, well mine at least. There is no sugar to it. Add some butter if you like and you got something that will make you think back and smile. I can picture my granddaddy breaking this cornbread up into a glass of cold milk and proceed to put a hurting on it. This wraps up my meal. I’ll discuss the desserts after going over Tammy’s choices.

Tammy ordered a 2 meat tray. She went with the Chopped BBQ and Smoked Turkey. Note: that’s why I didn’t need 4 meats. Her sides were Baked Beans and Homemade Chips. Hers also came with cornbread.

Well the smoked turkey was very good. I tried a little and it had a good smoke flavor. The turkey, like the chicken, was moist, tender and smoky. I’m thinking I want to learn how to smoke a turkey before Thanksgiving. By the way, she was served slices of breast.

Her homemade chips were really good too. I did like my fries better but they were top of the line. Michael explained to us after we ate that many people think they should be cooked to order and served hot. He says they were intended to be like chips and not necessarily hot from the cooker. They have seasoning on them and you can get a ranch sauce to dip them in if you like.

Lastly we went back for dessert. Tammy had Chocolate Éclair Cake and I had Banana Pudding. My banana pudding was really good but I’ll have to say that her éclair cake was better. The servings are pretty large so if you plan to make it this far plan accordingly. We always take a cooler with us.

A Little Extra:

I said earlier that we had met Michael. He’s the manager and a partner at Sam Jones BBQ. He is a very pleasant young man and was a pleasure to talk with. I hope we get to talk with him again, meaning we will be back. I also mentioned the staff working taking orders, waiting tables, and cleaning the dining room. All of them were hard at work the whole time we were there. Tammy asked Michael if she could hug the girl that recommended the chocolate éclair cake. He laughed and told her that any of the staff would appreciate hugs since he usually just gives them mostly a hard time. He was kidding and agreed they were turning into a great staff.

But what would a bbq joint be without a world class pitmaster? After we went outside I was taking a few pictures of the buildings. I had seen the guys standing between the restaurant and the smokehouse. I was trying to keep them out of the pictures since not everyone likes to be

photographed. Well they saw us and invited us over for a tour. Remember I said it was a 98 degree day? Yes it was a very hot tour but one I was not about to turn down. The two assistants, John and Steve, showed us the cookers (loaded with more meat) and the fireplace in the middle to keep the wood burning to produce the coals needed. The pitmaster, also named John, came and joined in. These guys were awesome. You have to love when anyone takes this much pride in their work and it shows that they do. But I also admire them for the conditions in which they produce these wonderful meats. It was probably in the 120 plus degree range in there. I told them that I can understand coming out to 96 degrees to cool off from my welding inside of ships days. We had to do the same thing. Those conditions are not meant for everyone.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts:

Have you figured out how I may feel about Sam Jones BBQ? The only thing I think could have possibly made it better would be if we had been able to meet Sam also. But if he were there Michael may not have been. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss out on meeting him. This was an all-around great experience for us. The food was great, we loved meeting everyone and touring the smokehouse was just the icing on the cake. This is one of those places that you just need to plan a trip to. If you’re in North Carolina or Central to Eastern Virginia, do a road trip. If traveling on I-95 thru NC, you’d need to make about an hour detour from Wilson, NC to get there. It will be time well spent. We have been to many great bbq joints along our BBQ Trail and Sam Jones BBQ rates right up there with the best of them.

Your Thoughts:

I hope everyone has stayed with me until now. This may set the record for my longest post to date. So if you hung in there, I’m really eager to hear your thoughts. Drop some comments about the post and I’ll get them posted so everyone can share their experiences at Sam Jones BBQ. I look forward to hearing from each of you. Don’t be shy.

Have you been to Sam Jones BBQ? Tell us about your visit.

What do you regulars think?

Even though Sam Jones BBQ is still fairly new, they must have a fan base. I saw the pictures on Facebook of signs at the door stating they had run out of food. Speak up and be heard. We didn’t try everything offered there, tell us about the other food offered.

I’d like to invite everyone who reads this review to give it a “Like” and “Share” it on your Facebook or other media page. Pass it along so others can read about them.

I look forward to hearing from you.

You can check out their website at: www.samjonesbbq.com

They can also be found on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Sam-Jones-BBQ-1670829863152932/

 

Enjoy the ride, good eating and thanks for stopping by.