Excellent food. Seating is limited and entering/exiting the parking lot is tight so best to go during off hours, but worth the wait. Really friendly staff too. read more

Visiting some family I wanted to get in as much bbq as I could in town. This one showed up with decent reviews and I wanted to try it out. I can't say this was my favorite bbq in the area, but I would absolutely stop by again. The brisket was ok, but a touch dry. The staff was friendly and the flavors were great. Their sauces were decent and I enjoyed the meal. The interior of the restaurant is very simple, which is exactly what I'd expect for this type of place, but the gingham tablecloths are still welcoming. read more

See all

@jtopsbbqshop | mom & pop bbq located in clayton, nc address: 8948 Cleveland Rd, Clayton, NC 27520 this hole in the wall, mom & pop shop offers mouthwatering carolina barbecue, brisket, and ribs--cooked overnight, every night. my order: The Sampler! it's a tray full of several of the meats & sides to try. my favorite pickings were: brisket burnt ends, were delicious! smoked sausage, was insanely good!! pork baby back ribs, so good !! @jtopsbbqshop is a family owned local mom & pop bbq shop that uses good ole carolina pork. checkout @jtopsbbqshop in Clayton, NC for the perfect lunch spot or catering option. follow @gainsandglow for more glow code wellness adventures. SAVOR. SWEAT. SLAY. ------ #raleigh #clayton #claytonnc #downtownclayton #downtowndlaytonnc #jtops #nc #raleighnc #raleighwellness #jtopsbbq #raleighrestaurants #jtopsbbqshop #gainsandglow #wellness #wellnessblog #foodblogger #foodblog #jtopsbbqclayton #claytonbbq #fitness #ncfoodblogger #raleighfoodblooger #raleighfoodie #raleighfood #ncbbq #localncbbq #localbbqshop #localbbq #nclocaleats #jtopsbbqsauce read more

See all

If you like days old beef brisket for $25 .. this is the place for you. We are so disappointed in the decline of quality from this locally owned restaurant. Even the fat was dried out. Definitely not worth the price or calories. I expected juicy, smoky BBQ and got something that tasted old and reheated instead. read more

J-Top's BBQ Shop - $25 beef brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Clayton, North Carolina

The BBQ at J-Top's is delicious. Their ribs are mouthwatering and their pulled pork sandwich with the J-Top's BBQ sauce is spot on. The location is convenient for folks on Cleveland Road. It's worth the drive to tey their BBQ. read more

This is a great little bbq place! Get there for their burnt tips days. Also the bag of pork rinds is a take home treat!

Excellent brisket, best I've ever tasted. Very pleasant and polite young man taking orders. We will definitely go back. Reasonably priced as well. read more

GrubHub is partially to blame. Cold, soggy food, burnt fish, sauce that tasted like an ashtray smells. So far from where they used to be. $40 for a $10 meal. Never again. read more

Where's the smoke? I didn't see any, but smelled like sticks were burning. First and foremost BBQ joints must have smoke coming from somewhere. Unless they're BBQ chips. J TOPS What and it ain't BBQ. read more

Stay away!!!! If I could give zero stars I would. This was bottom 3 worst bbq I've had In my life. I feel like I was robbed. The fact that all I saw was teenagers working should have given it away. The sides were THE worst I've EVER had. The "BBQ potato's" were literally some canned potato's with bbq sauce on them. I was blown away. The Mac and cheese was grisly, greasy and dry, also blown away. The Brunswick stew was as sweet as a bad dessert. The fried okra was clearly straight out of a freezer and the worst version of restaurant supply store subpar garbage. I spent $60 and literally nothing was good, most was bad and very little was okay. The hushpuppies were almost good but greasy. I could have let them pass, were it not for the grey brisket staring at me with a dollop of vinegar, perpetuating as BBQ sauce. I genuinely don't think they care. Do not eat here if you like bbq, or your money. In fairness, the sausage was okay, but it's sausage. The brisket was also okay, but that sauce! This is probably very mean but I said what I said, because I felt how I felt. read more

My husband frequently works in this area so we met up for lunch here one day and I hadn't really looked into it prior, I just love bbq LOL. My husband ordered chopped BBQ, as did i, but I got green beans and collards, and he got Mac and cheese and fried okra. We both got hush puppies as well. Hush puppies are 8/10 - very good. Bbq is excellent. The sides were all good honestly. No complaints, but the thing I LOVED MOST was.... My husbands fried okra. I ate most of of because he got dispatched out to some nearby call, and the okra was THERE. Definitely no disappointments here, will return. read more

Where to begin? Let's start with the good. The sausage is some of the best I've ever had. It's full of flavor, juicy, has a fantastic snap. I WILL have it again. The ribs are cooked great, no smoke though so that's a point off. The brisket, just no. No smoke, no I won't try it again. Overcooked, flavorless, dry. Not good. The veggies....nope. Not for me. I don't like sweet green beans or sweet collards. Maybe some of y'all do but that isn't for me. I will forever be a faithful customer for the sausage and ribs though. read more

Really, really mediocre. We tried J-Top's for lunch today and left underwhelmed. My companion's BBQ sandwich was served on a tiny bun and featured a very skimpy serving of pulled pork. The menu indicated that the squash was not always available, so my companion made the mistake of assuming it was fresh. The squash obviously went from the freezer to the fryer to her plate. It was the only part of the meal that was hot. My pulled pork plate came with two warm, overcooked hush puppies that might have also started their journey to my plate from the freezer. As far as I could tell, the slaw was nothing more than coarsely chopped cabbage and mayonnaise; using one of the single-serving paper packets of salt and pepper on the table elevated it to just being a failure instead of a total failure. The BBQ potatoes were served cold; not warm, cold. Their journey to my plate likely started from the cooler with a way too short layover on the stove before reaching my disposable, plastic plate. I received a relatively generous serving of very dry BBQ that did not seem freshly smoked. It was the highlight of the meal, but frankly that isn't saying much. J-Top's has fierce, fierce competition in the Redneck BBQ Lab, less than 5 miles away. SCNB on 42 is also less than 5 miles away and Stephenson's BBQ is 6 miles away. Each of these BBQ restaurants, especially Redneck BBQ, is offering an arguably better product at similar prices. I hope that J-Top's takes a hard look at what it offers compared to its nearby competition and seriously steps up its game if it wants to survive. read more

Food was good however, charging for basic items that are usually included is not normal. Infact, I've never been anywhere where you were charged extra for tomatoes, etc. That alone chased us away. I'm glad they're open on Sunday however, being closed on Saturday which is when ppl have the time to go out is a major bummer. It would most likely be their busiest day. Ideally you'd be open Friday- Sunday as a bbq place. Atmosphere is ok. Typical burger/ bbq style. Nothing to note on that. read more

A simple old school very fresh BBQ joint. Great Chicken Ribs and more. Wish the cold salad sides were better like the slaw and tater salad but it's still good. Great sauces too. Owner is nice guy and talks to all who enter his humble place. Keep up the goodcwork. Anyone local should try this place. Support local. read more

See all

Stopped by here a couple of weeks ago for some take out. I just so happened to be in Clayton and heard this place was still open for takeout. The shop is small and cute, it kind of gives me a vintage feel and brings back memories of my neighborhood diner from my home town. The staff was friendly and completed our orders very fast. I ordered the brisket with fries. This was a very good decision. The brisket was seasons great and the bbq sauce was so good. I liked that the fries also came with a seasoning on them as well. The hush puppies that came with that meal had to be my favorite. They were balls of fried goodness. I don't line close to Clayton but if I did I would definitely return for some of this great food right away. I want to try the pulled pork and the bbq chicken. I definitely recommend! read more

See all

Chicken salad is soooo good! Food was made fresh Friendly service Family like atmosphere Great local place for the family to eat! Prices are affordable and you get a lot of food! read more

Had a really great experience here on the day we moved to Clayton! The guys at the shop were super friendly and excited to give their recommendations of what we should try. We had 2 combo platters with chicken, ribs, brisket and pulled pork. We loved the food options. We will be back! read more

I've eaten here a ton over the years so I want to give an honest review as my recent visit wasn't the best. Stopped in for a "taco special" but it was only bbq chicken in a cold tortilla. Not a single topping! Picture out front of the special didn't even resemble what I received. Fries are under cooked and floppy. Bbq has good flavor but nothing wows you anymore. Mainly come for a sandwich and burnt ends I appreciate that the owner employs younger students in the area. However there is NEVER any manager there so the quality of the food just isn't there and neither is the "great local bbq joint" atmosphere. I can't tell you how many times I've come in to eat and the entire place is being run by 16 year old kids. The kids are pleasant but are way to chatty about inappropriate things while at counter and on their phone. I hope they make some changes and kinda go back to that early J tops quality. Train up the kids, revamp the atmosphere and stop storing food in dining room. Just needs a freshen up. Hope this helps bc I do like the restaurant read more

I had their brisket sandwich and it wasn't that good, there was too much fat on it and I didn't think it had that great of a flavor. But, I loved the fried okra it was delicious! read more

We were at a competition at Cleveland HS and didn't want concession food for dinner. This place was close and yummy. My husband and I shared the combination platter and my daughter got the fried chicken sandwich. The hush puppies were really good. The fried chicken was handmade. Low key place with fast service. We will remember this for next time we are in the area. read more

Was in Clayton today with the family. Decided 2 stop by because we enjoy bbq and I saw this place on here (Yelp) order pulled pork tray with mac and cheese and fries. Wife had pulled pork and sausage and daughter bbq sandwich. The bbq was the way we enjoy chopped. Hush puppies really good. Sausage was good mac and cheese was tasty and sweet tea perfect amount of sweetness we just wished the fries were in just a little longer for more crisp but other than that very good flavor and food. Definitely recommend read more

If you want try down home country cooking and beyond delicious food? You'll not want to miss out on this family owned business. 5 stars all day long! read more

Reviews of this place were high, and I had heard good things. Unfortunately, I didn't think it was very good. Maybe I don't have a taste for Carolina style barbecue, but the pork was kinda mushy, and the sauce leaves a lot to be desired. The sides were bland as well. read more

This is another great find close to Clayton, in Cleveland NC. The owner is so nice and comes out to see how everything is. He will sit in the dinning area a talk with the customer. The BBQ is so good. I love to have just a sandwich with some sauce. The flavor is so good you don't need anything else. All the sides I've had are great. My favorite is the fries hand cut and cooked to order. read more

Just moved to the Clayton area. Was craving some good bbq and my husband found this place. Well let me tell you the ribs is so good and they have a sweet sauce that's goes well with the ribs. Highly recommend!!! read more

John and his crew catered for our wedding and to say they are amazing barely scratches the surface. John answered all of my (many) questions and truly went above and beyond to make our day as special as possible. Not only did he cater our dinner and provide hors d'oeuvres for cocktail hour, but he also went out of his way to make sure my husband and I had hot plates before anyone made it to the buffet. John and his team are truly the most amazing, thoughtful, wonderful people we have ever had the pleasure of working with. I cannot rave enough about J-TOP's and recommend them 100000% for any catering needs!! read more

Dang good BBQ at a great hole-in-the-wall! Just stumbled on this place for dinner and I knew it was good when I saw 5 people in their 70's who all looked related eating there in the corner. Classic red checkered plastic table clothes and a teenager working the register. Great portions for dinner and hot, flavorful chopped pork! read more

Wow. My husband and I can't say more than enough good things about this place. I grew up a city over for 31 years and finally moved a mile from J Tops. Since we found this gem we have eaten it three times in 2 weeks. It's that good. The fried catfish is amazing. It's crispy on the outside and soft and flaky on the inside. It's not dredged in grease or soggy. The brisket is on point. In my honest opinion it is better than Redneck Lab BBQ down the road. The Mac and Cheese was... cheesy! I'm so glad to see a crust on top! Everyone else hates it but I finally found a place that does it. The cheeses are well blended and not chunky like other places. When you bring home other places (daddy d's, redbeck lab, aviator, city bbq, cough cough) they are dried out and the oils have separated. The three times we've had the m and c it has been hot and still blended together. The burgers are now my favorite. They are better than Hwy55, Hardee's, cookout and other places. The meat was still hot after bringing it home, feeding dogs and finally sitting down to eat. No microwave needed. The hush puppies were a treat. They were exactly like the ones I'd hoard whenever I was at the coast, and we have a beach house. Now let's talk about the fries. The most important part of any meal. They were so freaking good. They reminded me of my favorite childhood place, Remington Grill. They were hot and crisp. The seasoning was great on them. They weren't soggy or greasy when we got home. Definitely the best. Y'all, stop going to the chain places and your local favorites and just come here. No bad experiences! Now one thing I grew up on in my southern family were corn sticks! No place except Parker's BBQ. If they started making them... amazing. read more

J-Top's BBQ Shop - a variety of food items - Barbeque Near Me - Clayton, North Carolina

Absolutely great experience with JTOP BBQ. If you want a turn-key, do nothing but show up event let JTOP take care of it all for you. We just recently had a neighborhood pool party for 100-150 people and everyone was more pleased with the food provided. JTOP cooked onsite and stayed until everyone was finished. They brought the food, sides, drinks and plastic ware so all we had to do was to show up. Because of the success of this event compared to a different experience last year with a different vendor we have JTOP hosting another event later this year. 5 STAR flavor and professionalism. read more

J-Top's BBQ Shop - Quite a spread from J-TOP BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Clayton, North Carolina

Well once again I disappointing barbecue place in North Carolina the half of chicken dark meat I think washroom Ethiopia Qatar and lag combine was the size of a human hand with no meat on it besides coleslaw straight out of a package to collards straight out of a can frozen hush puppies and I stepped out and bought a side order of beer battered onion rings and it came straight out of a bag from Sam's six onion rings for three bucks why would a deal best thing to head going for him was the Coke zero one and done my friend but it's up to you wish I read the reviews first read more

We looove J-Top's! It's around the corner from the house. We love the energy they bring to their establishment. The owner is great guy. He interacts with his customers. We ordered a ham for Thanksgiving. Highly recommend. Best ham I ever had. Hands down. read more

One of the best Barbecue places that you can eat BBQ around Johnston County. The BBQ had a little twang to to it which made it great. Everything was excellent except for the side sauce. Would have preferred Texas Pete or Franks, but didn't use it. Just ate the BBQ like it was. Will definitely go back. read more

Food was ok but employees were on phones the whole time and it took 30 minutes for a plate of brisket with fries and a plate of pulled pork and fries. We were the only people in there and it still took that long. It felt kind of slow inside and just not good overall. The ambiance was ok. read more

I tried the burnt ends since it was Thursday, and they were outstanding, everything I had on my plate was delicious, the Mac and cheese, the fries were nice and crispy, the slaw was very good and the hushpuppies I liked better than any I've tried before. Not to mention the sauces were on point. This guy knows what he's doing and if he doesn't yet he should compete cause I have a feeling this place will get real big if enough people try it. read more

J-Top's BBQ Shop - Burnt ends, fresh cut fries, Mac and cheese, hushpuppies, and slaw - Barbeque Near Me - Clayton, North Carolina

We decided to have BBQ yesterday since we had family visiting. We called and there was no answer, so we went on the website and ordered on line. It showed that they were out of brisket, but there were still burnt ends and pork BBQ and lots of other stuff to choose from. We placed the order Thank you for ordering! Your order number is **** 1 x Collards - Side$2.591 x Brunswick Stew - Quart$9.991 x Mac N Cheese -  Pint$4.991 x Pulled Pork /lbs$23.981 x Burnt Ends$16.991 x Hush Puppies - Dozen$2.59 Subtotal$61.13Sales Tax$4.13 Total$65.26 Pick Up Destination: 8948 Cleveland Rd., Clayton, NC 27520 Phone: 919-934-0093 Pick Up Time: Please pick up your order at: 12:59 PM on 04/18 Great! That was easy! Let's go pick it up! We drove to the restaurant and....... THEY WERE CLOSED. There was a hand written sign on the door that said "due to potential Covid exposure, we are closed. WHAT???? NOTHING on the website said they were closed. They did NOT have an answering machine message saying they were closed AND the credit card charge WENT THROUGH! Now I have to wait for the credit card company to investigate to get my money back. If you own a business and you close, you OWE IT TO YOUR CUSTOMERS TO TELL THEM!!! Post it on your website. Put it on a voice mail. CLOSE DOWN YOUR ON LINE ORDERING. Don't just hand write a sign and walk away. VERY UNPROFESSIONAL. Will NEVER, EVER go there and will be telling EVERYONE I know what you did! read more

Everything is good especially the chicken salad!! The daily specials are where it's at! From BBQ to fried flounder to brisket, it's all good. read more

I can not stress enough how delicious the food is. J-Top's has something for everyone! I can not tell you what I like best it is all so good! Good southern cooking at it's BEST! Try it once and you will be hooked! read more

We are new to the Clayton area and we have officially found our favorite spot to eat! Place has a ton of options and some of the best pulled pork and Onion rings I've had in a long time! The staff is also fun and friendly. 10/10 recommend! read more

I cannot believe Charlie left and let these jokers into his kitchen this was the absolute worst brisket I've ever had the misfortune of tasting it was drier than a potato chip absolutely no flavor and then they have the nerve to put cheese lettuce and pickles on a brisket sandwich that contained 2 small pieces of dry ass brisket Charlie never would've let such a disgrace come out of his kitchen12/30/20 read more

J-Top's BBQ Shop - The worst brisket sandwich in the history of mankind - Barbeque Near Me - Clayton, North Carolina