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.

Surviving the Wind and Rain in Ayden

Ayden is a classic Southern barbecue town. Because it is the home of two BBQ kings of North Carolina: Bum’s and Skylight Inn, it has earned a well-deserved spot on the N.C. Historic Barbecue Trail. It is also home to one of my favorite cookoffs, the Kings of Q, held each May.

Cooking teams set up in open spaces in downtown Ayden.

For 2018, the enthusiasm was high, but the weather was less than favorable. For the third annual rendition of Kings of Q, appropriately named to honor the city’s two regal pit master families and the legacy of their BBQ restaurants, 38 teams competed for a total of $10,000 in prize money in less than ideal conditions. The night before the judging took place, a major storm arrived and dumped several inches of rain, and heavy rain continued throughout the day of the festival, significantly reducing the turnout of the crowd.

As Stephen Tripp, the mayor of Ayden, welcomes judges, he points to the locations of the town's two BBQ kings. 

However, because the People’s Choice contest was conducted indoors, it offered a brief respite from the rain and was more popular than usual. The awards ceremony had to be moved indoors, and the festival was closed early because of rain. The team Muttley Crew, which won the cookoff, had high scores in all meat categories – chicken, ribs, pork, and brisket – and even earned a perfect score for its chicken entry.

Voters in the People's Choice contest appreciate the indoor space and avoid the rainy weather.

When all the judging activities were over and the judges were dismissed, I returned to my car only to find that the heavy rain had made the unpaved parking lot treacherous. My car immediately was trapped by mud when I started driving. Fortunately, a festival volunteer saw my trouble and paged town employees to pull me to safety. After a delay of about 45 minutes, I was out of the mud and carefully on my way home (but had to stop at The Collard Patch before leaving town).

Gray clouds that bring heavy rains hover over the cooking throughout the festival.

I look forward to returning to Ayden for another cookoff. However, next time, if it is raining, I’ll look for a safer parking area while I participate in the judging activities. Ayden is a fabulous place to be even in inclement weather, but it’s more enjoyable when the sun is shining.

The public works truck that pulled me out of the mud stays safely near the edge of the parking area.

Inaugural Event in a Legendary Town

Ayden, NC, is the home of two legendary barbecue establishments: Skylight Inn and Bum’s Restaurant. When town leaders decided to hold a barbecue cookoff and festival, they were inspired to name the event in honor of their two kings -- Kings of Q was an easy choice for the contest’s name.

It’s surprising that a barbecue town such as Ayden never before had a barbecue festival. The town clearly enjoys a homegrown festival because it has hosted the Official Collard Festival of North Carolina since 1975. When Stephen Tripp, the town’s mayor, spoke to judges at their initial meeting, he said, ”We want to book summer with two festivals” as he explained why town leaders wanted a second festival as a companion to the collard festival.

Teams set up in BBQ Village.

Officials were very excited to be conducting their first barbecue cookoff and festival. “You’re making history with this inaugural event,” Tripp told the judges. He also said that he had given the same message to the cooking teams the night before.

The Smokin' BBQ team prepares its chicken entries.

Tripp told the judges that they would be “tasting the best barbecue ever judged because Ayden is known as the barbecue capital of the world.” In a nod to the two kings – Skylight Inn and Bum’s Restaurant – Tripp said, “We have the best barbecue in the world. When the cookers get permeated with that legacy, they’ll produce the best barbecue that the teams have ever made,” the mayor projected.

A contestant prepares a tray for the People's Choice category.

I have to agree with the mayor. For a first-ever event, the contest was well organized, and the cooking results were exceptional. Of the entries that I judged, the beef brisket in particular was superior, which is typically difficult for some teams to prepare. The other entries – chicken, ribs, and pork – were also better than expected. The teams must have been inspired by not only being in Ayden but also the opportunity to compete for a total prize amount of $10,000.

Amanda Reed of Coastal Smoke looks happy with her cooking results.

Because many judges were aware of the importance of Ayden in the history of N.C. barbecue, several traveled from out of state to be a part of the inaugural event. Cooking teams from Texas and Pennsylvania also joined in the competition that featured mostly N.C. teams. For the cookoff, 30 cooking teams registered, and 30 judges were required. Fortunately, I had submitted my application when the contest was first announced and assured my participation by being one of the early judges to apply.

Music plays during the festival on the main stage at the center of the street scene.

Even before the event was over, the organizers were so pleased with the event that they began planning for the “second annual” next year. The good news for me is that all the judges who participated will be invited to judge again before registration is made available to others. Because Ayden is one of my favorite small towns, I’m looking forward to being part of the festival again.

Near the main stage, the trailer of Skylight Inn stays busy selling barbecue sandwiches.

The Capital of ‘Cue

The drive to Ayden, NC, had been a journey I wanted to take for some time. I initially became aware of the small town in rural Pitt County because it’s the home of the official N.C. Collard Festival, a four-day extravaganza in August. The town of fewer than 5,000 expands with several more thousands who line the streets to watch the annual parade and participate in other festival events.

The silver dome marks "the Capital of Barbecue."

Throughout the rest of the year, the historic Skylight Inn attracts almost the same large crowds. It boasts that it’s “The Capital of Barbecue” and even proudly tops its building with a dome replica of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. Some of Skylight’s bragging rights date to the 1980s when founder Pete Jones went to the Washington, DC, and defeated a team from South Carolina in a barbecue cooking contest. In addition, National Geographic has proclaimed that Skylight Inn is the “capital of ‘cue,” and the N.C. BBQ Society starts its barbecue trail at Skylight.

Chop, chop, chop are the sounds you hear when you enter the Skylight Inn.

The signature chopped whole hog (with the crisp skin mixed in) is seasoned with a little salt, pepper, vinegar and hot sauce and nothing else. When you walk in, you hear the constant rhythmic sounds of chop, chop, chop. As you stand in front of the counter, you watch as a huge pile of pork barbecue is chopped by a member of the kitchen staff. The chopping board is part of the spectacle of Skylight Inn, but it also conveys a message, just like the “Hot Now” light at Krispy Kreme. Whole hogs cooked had been cooked all night (for about 16 hours) in open brick pits heated by scoops of hot coals.

A historic family recipe is used to make the skillet cornbread.

The skillet cornbread tastes just like the mid-1800s because Skylight Inn uses a family recipe that dates to 1830 and the initial creation of Skilten Dennis, an early ancestor who began cooking whole hogs in the area. Made with drippings from barbecued hogs, the dense bread is somewhat greasy, soft on the inside but has a crust on the outside.

A tray of barbecue includes cornbread and cole slaw -- everything made according to family traditions.

Often referred to as “Jones’ Barbecue” in deference to Pete Jones, who began the restaurant (as well as the other Joneses who have followed him), Skylight Inn is unpretentious -- except for the big dome on top. The menu still reflects his character and offers a choice of a BBQ sandwich or tray. Money is also handled in an old-fashioned way – piled on the back counter rather than being placed in a cash register. Having not changed since 1947, Skylight Inn, named by Pete Jones after his experience of flying small airplanes from the airstrip behind the restaurant, remains authentic to its traditions.

Bruce Jones (left) introduced himself to me as the "father of Samuel ... and son of Pete."

When Pete (born Walter B. Jones but always known by his nickname) died in 2006, his son Bruce embraced the challenge of continuing the family’s barbecue traditions. Now the notoriety has been passed to his son Samuel, who in an interview with A Chef's Life said, "If the sign says BBQ and you don't see any smoke, you probably ought to keep on driving. In fact, when I met Bruce Jones, he introduced himself as the “father of Samuel, the young one featured on the cooking shows, and son of Pete.”

Skylight Inn is one of the few American restaurants that displays a James Beard award.

Even with the expanded recognition, the display wall of mementos near the counter doesn’t seem to have been updated since the early 1980s. On a far wall is displayed with little fanfare a medal from the James Beard Foundation, which celebrates and honors the nation’s diverse culinary heritage. The foundation selects the most beloved regional restaurant each year by bestowing the America’s Classic designation, which Skylight received in 2003. The award recognizes timeless appeal and quality food served at a locally owned and modestly priced restaurant that reflects the character of its community.

The letter from N.C. Gov. Hunt proclaims Skylight Inn as the "king" after winning the contest in Washington, D.C.

The visit to Skylight Inn is like a journey back in time. It is an American classic that earns its high praise for good reason.

The woodpile in the back is
proof of traditional cooking.

Coals are made in the fireplaces.

The line of customers frequently
extends out the door.

The pit is where good cooking happens.