Historic New Bern, NC, Begins New BBQ Tradition

New Bern is the home of the newest sanctioned barbecue event in North Carolina.

In the inaugural Bear-B-Q contest, top pitmasters went head-to-head for bragging rights, cash, and awards in the historic city of New Bern, NC. 

The ribs entry of Alpine Smoke Works, which finished as the reserve champion. Photo: Alpine Smoke Works via Facebook.

The contest was held at the city’s scenic riverfront where the Neuse and Trent Rivers come together. Although the day was rainy, the pitmasters and judges were very pleased to have a new event sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society. For the contest, 26 teams competed for $20,000 in prize money, and $4,000 was reserved for “backyard” teams who were competing in their first event and needed contest experience to develop their pitmaster skills.

Cooking teams set up along the scenic riverfront of New Bern.

Named for Bern in west-central Switzerland, New Bern has also adopted the bear, displayed on a red-yellow background, as its heraldic symbol. Naming the contest for the bear was an easy choice for the organizers who were raising money for the CarolinaEast Foundation, which supports the healthcare community in the area.

The grand champion team shows off all their awards. Photo: Mcadoo Heights BBQ via Facebook.

The grand champion of the contest was Mcadoo Heights BBQ, which also earned a perfect score (180 points) for its pork entry. It easily outdistanced Alpine Smoke Works, the reserve champion, which finished second in overall points.

The competition trailer of Mcadoo Heights BBQ overlooks the river scene. Photo: Mcadoo Heights BBQ via Facebook.

New Bern is rich in history. It is the second-oldest European-settled colonial town in North Carolina (after Bath) and served as the capital of North Carolina from 1770 to 1792. Now that it is the home for a sanctioned BBQ contest, it joins the rest of eastern North Carolina in celebrating the best of barbecue traditions. As I wind down my judging experiences, I'm glad that I've added New Bern to the places where I've judged.

Image: Kansas City Barbeque Society via Facebook.

Sam Jones Knows Eastern Carolina BBQ

The chopped pork sandwich is served with slaw on a potato bun. Photo: Sam Jones BBQ.

Any barbecue fan who visits Raleigh, NC, usually asks about Sam Jones BBQ because the owner/pitmaster is so well known in food circles. Jones descends from a family that has prepared whole-hog BBQ the right way — cooked slow over a wood-fueled pit – since grandfather Pete Jones opened a restaurant in 1947 at age 17.

Chopped—not pulled—is the Jones family way. Photo: Sam Jones BBQ.

The grandson of the founder of the legendary Skylight Inn in Ayden, NC, Sam Jones has not fallen far from the family tree, although he has taken his family’s barbecue skills into two other cities — first to Whiteville in 2015 and next to Raleigh in 2021. Even before venturing into these two locations, Jones was named “one of the top pitmasters in the South” by Southern Living magazine back in 2012.

An old auto body shop was transformed into a BBQ destination. Photo: Sam Jones BBQ.

In Raleigh, Jones converted an old auto body shop into a smokehouse and dining room. His team cooks 180-pound hogs in a wood-fired pit for 16 hours every day. The BBQ is seasoned just right, not overly sauced, and chopped (not pulled) with crunchy bits of skin. In addition to chopped pork BBQ, Jones also serves smoked spare ribs, turkey, and chicken.

A traditional Jones family tray of chopped BBQ also comes with a side (here sweet slaw) and cornbread. Photo: Visit Raleigh Insider.

One family tradition that often meets with mixed reviews from first-time customers is the cornbread, which follows the original recipe that dates to 1830 from Skylight Inn. (Some diners skip it and order the sweet potato muffin instead.) Long-term diners consider it an essential part of the full Jones family experience. The cornbread, unsweetened and dense, is made with little more than cornmeal mix and water. A thin slab with crisp edges and a chewy texture, it is a marked contrast to sweeter Southern cornbread that is fluffy or cakey.

The cornbread is unsweetened and dense.

The sides are as good as the BBQ. Sweet slaw, mac ‘n’ cheese, collard greens, and baked beans are popular choices. The best advice is not to leave without trying the banana pudding. Alone, it makes a trip to Sam Jones BBQ worthwhile.

Don't leave without a serving of banana pudding.

A third-generation pitmaster, Jones knows how to serve eastern N.C.-style BBQ. His perfectly smoked, chopped whole hog barbecue continues a time-honored family tradition. chopped pork with slaw on a potato bun.

Sam Jones is a third-generation pitmaster. Photo: Sam Jones BBQ.