Still Serving Like It’s the 1950s

When you walk into Parker’s Barbecue in Wilson, NC, you are met as soon as you pass through the front door -- sometimes by a greeter, frequently by two, and often by a whole host of friendly faces, including young men wearing 1950s-style paper hats who as servers will wait on you soon.

Parker's in Wilson, NC, is a destination for barbecue lovers.

Most customers don’t need a menu when they arrive. After all, Parker’s has been in business since 1946, and little has changed since then. Parker’s serves pork barbecue only one way: chopped. There’s little indication that it will ever change its approach. Why change what has worked well for decade?

Servers wait near the cashiers for customers to arrive.

Although Parker’s is also now known for its chicken and seafood, many customers still arrive hungry for only barbecue, which is slowly roasted every day and infused with Parker’s signature vinegar-based sauce. Each week about 150 whole hogs are cooked (only gas, not wood, has been used since the 1950s).

The kitchen is continually busy throughout the day.

Corn sticks or hushpuppies usually accompany a meal; I got both. In addition, I picked slaw, boiled potatoes and Brunswick stew as the sides for my dinner. The slaw has more “zip” than I had expected, but it combines nicely with the barbecue.

The centerpiece of my dinner is chopped barbecue.

The centerpiece, of course, is Parker’s chopped barbecue. When it arrives at the table, it is drier than a visitor might expect. However, on the table are two bottles of sauce -- both vinegar-based and one with more crushed red peppers -- so that the meat can be moistened to match a customer’s preferences.

Most customers arrive at Parker's with barbecue on their minds, although fried chicken is also popular.

In eastern North Carolina, when you mention Parker’s, most people know that you are referring to the original location in Wilson. However, Parker’s has expanded to nearby Greenville, but the first location is still the destination for many barbecue fans. Until 2018, it was listed on the Historic Barbecue Trail of the North Carolina Barbecue Society but was removed when the trail was limited to historic pits that cook with only wood or charcoal (the original listing may still be displayed on the web.)

The takeout counter always has customers waiting.

Stepping into Parker’s is like going back to the 1950s. Little has changed. Thank goodness.

The menu rarely changes -- this one has been used for more than four years.