Absolutely the best BBQ around...the bbq chicken is amazing...honestly I've never ate anything bad at Parker's!!! I mean EVERYTHING is good; even down to the ice they use is fantastic. I'm 42 years old and have been eating there at twice a month since I can remember. I believe anyone that's passing through should make plans to check them out; you will not be disappointed!! read more

Awesome BBQ and chicken we pick up from there every year for in law Christmas Eat there everytime in Wilson great people read more

Food was mediocre at best. Skip the Brunswick stew and the corn sticks. Make sure you have cash because it's 2019 and they don't take debit or credit cards. May just want to skip the whole thing. Not a fan of what they call BBQ. read more

The roadside appearance of this older building does not do justice to the great food service inside. With several servers working together, the food was brought to our table within a couple of minutes of placing our order. With the Family style ordering option , you leave completely satisfied. The food is exceptional in taste and in value. read more

This place was recommend during a recent trip we took to NC. The menu was simple, BBQ chicken, Fried chicken, and pulled pork. I chose the fried chicken and green beans and had the sweet tea to drink. The chicken was delicious and adding the hot sauce that was on the table definitely took it up a notch. The sweet tea was some of the best I've ever had. The green beans seemed like basic canned green beans. The wait staff was both quick and very friendly and the price was incredibly reasonable. read more

I'm not a barbecue expert but this seemed pretty dang good. A fun place where a lot of locals go as well as dopey tourists like me. It's open pretty late until 8:30 for this neck of the woods which is so nice. You can go and sit if you want, but I decided to just go around back to the take-out and order there. I got two pork sandwiches. This being my first experience with E NC bbq I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Different than TX, but not in a bad way. The meat was excellent, so soft. I don't like buns so I ate mine without the top so that I could taste more of the meat. I would have like a bit more meat on mine, but at under 4.00 per sandwich I'm not complaining. Good service, very quick. Fun, lively atmosphere. read more

Parker's - Take out lines on Saturday night around 7:30. Very fast service, fun crowd hanging around. - Barbeque Near Me - Wilson, North Carolina

We were on a road trip and it appeared that nothing was open and we were all very hungry when we stumbled upon this restaurant. The 6 of us were greeted immediately upon entering the restaurant and seated. Menu is small and so it was easy to make our choices. The hush puppies that were brought to our table were old and stale and did not include any butter or honey to make them easier to swallow. The fried chicken was tasty, but the sides that came with it were bland. Same with the pork, tasty, but bland sides. The corn that was listed with our dish never made it to our table and we could not ask for it because after taking our order we NEVER saw our waiter again. The service was not great after that initial greeting at the door. The bathrooms at this place were filthy and I remember thinking that I hoped the kitchen was much cleaner. I suspect one of the reasons this place is around is that the restaurant was filled with retired locals who ate at the restaurant because of their very inexpensive prices. I, personally, would not recommend this restaurant except if it's the only thing open. read more

[Cash Only] It looks like a place that a lot of the local residents go. We stopped by for lunch during our drive down south. You can either order specific items from the menu or do "all you can eat" (everyone at the table has to do all you can eat if one person wants to do it). Coming from NY we were shocked (in a good way) to find all you can eat BBQ for $8.88. What we liked: - Fried chicken (could be a bit more crispy but it was very tasty) - Customer service (we liked wings the most and they were willing to refill our plate with just wings. Very patient with questions too). - Cole slaw (it's very different from the ones we had before) - Hush puppies (we finished 3 plates of hush puppies) What we didn't like as much: - Corn stick (was a bit too dry) - Pork It was a really satisfying meal! read more

I have to start by saying if I give three or less, then that means I am not coming back. I like this place and will easily come back. The reason I am giving a four is because I can't give a three and a half. I love this place and have always eaten in. This time I didn't have time to sit, so I got to experience the other side (the take out). I was a little taken back, the restroom was outside? I guess that was surprising. To get a five the bathroom has to be usable, for staff and customer. When I ate in I am pretty sure there was a restroom inside. They were pretty busy, but they did move rather fast. I can't say I experienced the same hospitality that I got when I ate in. Just put it like this, know what you want before you get to the counter, I knew what I wanted but they were out so I had to make up my mind pretty quick lol. Also make sure you got cash money, not your phone or credit or debit card. (I get it you save money by not excepting those things), at least the young lady at the counter put my order in while I wen to the car to get my cash. Also there is just something about going to the back to pick up a to go order that just didn't sit right with me lol smh, but I am sure it keeps the two worlds of take out and eat in from coli ding. Anyway to get to the meal, No complaints. Normally I don't like coleslaw on my barbecue, but I will eat parkers with or without meat. I also got a liver bag and a chicken bag to go that was piping hot filled with grease and goodness lol, the hush puppies are the best. The tea was ok, but I went for barbecue not tea. Again had to take off for the stall outside begin used as a restroom. If there is a restroom inside, leave it open for all paying customer. read more

HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED!!! The cashier was unbelievably rude and unhelpful regarding questions about the menu. The choice of sides were inadequate. They don't accept debit cards like the rest of Civilization, but have an ATM with a 2.50 surcharge. No Buffet. The prep time was fast, but the portions were meager (we ordered a large). The BBQ was mushy and flavorless, definitely not nearly as good as some people claim it to be. The chicken had a nice crispy skin, but was not seasoned. The fries were nice and crispy, but were unsalted. The slaw looked like vomit. I don't understand how this place outlasted Bills. read more

Years ago, my family stopped by Parkers every time we went on vacation to White Lake. It's become a tradition for me to stop there every time I go down I-95 in North Carolina. Such was the case last night while going down to Myrtle Beach. I ordered the barbecue plate with Brunswick Stew and Boiled Potatoes. It was just like I remembered years ago. DELICIOUS! Great Hush Puppies and Cornsticks along with their great mustardy Cole Slaw. YUM! As long as Parkers continues, I'll return again and again! read more

Out standing food and outstanding service as always. I last visited this place 15 years ago and it's still as good as then

I really enjoy visiting an establishment that has transcended from being a restaurant to a living institution. You can tell by the jam packed parking lot, crowd of locals, and the fact that they are still cash only that they are doing something right. Not a place for the snobby "foodie" crowd. This is a BBQ joint for those looking for a truly down home meal. Chopped pork with the coleslaw was ridiculously good. I need to expand on that...not just ridiculously good, but so good that it makes it uncomfortable when someone else at the table tries to get the last portion from the tray before you can. I have one regret about eating at Parker's...I ate too much chopped pork and coleslaw before I tried the Fried Chicken. It's almost a transcendental experience. My first thought was that I was going to slap Colonel Sanders for pushing KFC as being fried chicken...they're not even in the same category. Great experience. Excellent service, down home feel, and felt like an experience rather than a quick stop for lunch. read more

This place is alright, it has good food, and fast surface.i lake it alot and I makes me feel good I got to drive here 5 hours out and it is felling good for now when I get home I will be happy read more

I recently moved from Jersey to Colorado and decided to take a non-traditional road trip to get there which involved a good chunk of the southern states. The first restaurant on my list was Parker's. I made it a point to come to the original location, but only because I prefer the nostalgia of places that have been around since before I was born. For starters, this place is super old school. Wood paneling, dirt cheap prices, dim lighting. You can tell not much has changed over the years. My father and I each ordered the family style dinner for $9. You get 2 pieces of fried chicken, BBQ pork, brunswick stew, boiled potatoes, corn sticks, hush puppies, and cole slaw. Nothing really blew me away except the fried chicken. Although, I can't say it is the best I've ever had, it was pretty damn good and beats anything you would get from the colonial or Annie (the Popeye's lady, guess what I didn't know her name either, I had to look it up!). My father and I both agreed that the real star of the show was the sweet tea. Now this tea, I can say with confidence is the best damn sweet tea I've ever had. You gotta try it to believe it. So if you are a fiend for great sweet tea and fried chicken, Parker's is surely worth a visit. It's not hard to find good fried chicken down south, but rest assured that Parker's carries the real good stuff. Next time I will be ordering nothing but fried chicken and tea and don't plan on leaving until they kick me out. read more

A long time institution, hard to go wrong with Parker's. Now that Bill's is sadly closed, when I'm passing through Wilson it will be Parker's. Their 'cue is as good as ever, and the fried chicken is fantastic. Can't get the cornbread sticks at home, and always nice to get a good mess of southern fixings. Give this one a try if you're in the neighborhood, then go check out the whirligigs nearby. read more

This food was not good. The wait staff was rude and were buzzing by. Once our boy have us the ticket he never returned so it was like playing flag football trying to catch the attention of another worker. My boiled potatoes tasted like fish, but no one else's did. The chicken was way over cooked, and our drinks were in cans.... to top it off our waiter was completely clueless. Will not be returning read more

Eastern NC's finest. Home of some of the best fried chicken, bbq, and sweet tea in the South. The family style deal is the best $8.88 you'll ever spend. You won't be disappointed. read more

Parker's - Barbeque Near Me - Wilson, North Carolina

I've been eating here since I was a little girl. My mother was born and raised in Elm City, NC and the BBQ is absolutely delicious. Brunswick stew, potatoes and corn sticks can't be beat. I live in Maryland and have to get my fix so when not in Wilson order frozen BBQ shipped to our home. It's the best! read more

Wow... a legendary BBQ place that totally sucked. We had pulled pork, coleslaw, hushpuppies and brunswick stew on Sunday that was probably the worst restaurant food I've ever had. The BBQ was extremely dry with no taste, the hushpuppies were overcooked and full of grease and coleslaw was pulverized cabbage with mayonnaise. It was all bland with no taste. The sweet tea was DISGUSTINGLY sweet (think Bojangles tea and multiply times 5); I couldn't drink it and changed to water. The Brunswick stew was OK. I will never go back. Ever. read more

I love Parkers for their eastern NC BBQ and fried chicken and sides. I have eaten here many times over the years and it has always been good . Their slaw is my favorite of all the eastern BBQ place slaws. The place hasn't changed in years and is about as classic and down home as you can get, not fancy and cash only. If that's not your thing don't try but if you want good NC whole hog BBQ and some nostalgia give it a try read more

Holy hell this is good bbq! Corn sticks!!!! Chicken livers!!!!!! Get them all!!! Bring cash, no cards accepted. Use convenient take out ordering behind the restaurant if you're in a hurry. read more

I don't eat out a whole lot, but we go to Parkers in Wilson, N.C. more than any where. Love their bbq and they have fast service. My brother came up from the coast and ate with us in January. He loved it to. We were planning to have a get together with our Aunt but with the virus, they don't have indoor dining. So we now know to call ahead and they always having it waiting for us. Check out their place on you tube. Great bbq and great fried chicken. I have had the seafood and it was great too. A winner. read more

This was a great off I95 find! We wanted genuine NC barbecue and we got it! Look at it from the parking lot and you feel like you might be walking back in time. Walk in the place and you definitely get that vibe. About a dozen young waiters all in white with those paper hats are standing by. Sit at a table and get ready for some good stuff. The fried chicken was the way it's meant to be...moist and meaty! Barbecue chicken was even better. BBQ pork was good, but not great. The Brunswick Stew -- a side dish -- was amazing! What would have made Parker's better? A little bit more on the menu. We're a family that lives for brisket and I'll bet if they made brisket it would rock. But the one-sided menu didn't allow for that. OH...and those guys in the paper hats are darned good waiters! read more

Not following COVID 19 guidelines except for table setup. No staff, servers etc wearing masks, practicing physical distancing plus appears condiments and tables not properly sanitized between diners. read more

Read about this place while driving from CT to Florida. Decided we had to make a stop. Worth the trip. The BBQ chicken was great! Coleslaw too. We had the sampler which came with an assortment of just about everything. Next time would stick to the chicken and coleslaw. Fries were cooked well too. Our waiter was very pleasant and great customer service. Worth the stop! read more

Stopped in here during a recent drive to DC. Wanted to try true Carolina BBQ and chose Parker's BBQ over Bills. What surprised me most, is how highly rated this place is. Pork had consistency of tuna fish from a can. Bland, tasted like it had been sitting in service trays for two days. Brunswick Stew: tasted like they added the above pork to dollar store vegetable soup. Corn Sticks: looked like they had potential, but were dry sticks that were best suited for filing your nails. Fries: okay. Service, was friendly and fast. That is about the only redeeming quality of this place. When I picture NC BBQ, I picture the sweet smell of smoke in the air, pork that has just been pulled off in chunks, picnic tables, paper towel rolls as napkins - this place is not that. It screams what is wrong with food in America today, overly processed-warmer tray-under the heat lamp -- crap. Parker's probably was once a staple in NC BBQ, but now it seems to have lost its soul. read more

This place had been recommended by some friends who frequently drive up and back from DC, so we checked out yelp and saw the good ratings, and decided to give it a try when we were passing through. In fact, we took a good 30-mile detour to try it, which is to say we drove 30 extra miles for nothin'. The worst part about the whole experience was having to tell my friends that this place sucked. The first red flag was that the rooms were not so clean, with trash and stuff on the floor, and many tables still needing to be cleaned. Service was friendly enough, but had to wait for a server for some time. The main courses -- the pork and chicken -- were fine... not bad... but nothing to write home about and not especially flavorful, and the sides were poor at best. The fried okra appeared to either be stale or perhaps having been cooked the day before, and left out on the counter ever since. I'm hoping -- HOPING -- that we were just really unlucky and happened to visit on a bad day...but, doubt I'll ever find out, as I don't ever plan on going back. read more

for what it is, which is a NC institution I guess it was fine. Admittedly I am not a huge bbq fan, so that's a real factor in this review. We had 15 baseball players and all the parents to go with it , and they were able to accommodate us easily at 3pm. Place was still real busy. Service was good and food was what I expected. When you walk in it looks like you flashed back to 1950 which is neat I guess. I won't plan to go back, but if you go and you like this type of place you will be fine with what you get. read more

Ummm, not sure why this has so many stars, but here goes. From the get go, we were rushed. Young kid asked us right away if we knew what we wanted, I said no. My wife went to the restroom with our daughter. Then he asked what do you want to drink? I said I don't know, can you wait until we're all here? Said ok, then came back. Just felt very rushed. Bathrooms are horrid. Dirty. Men's room no soap. Had one of the waiters go in to use the restroom. Gross...he had no soap yet was handling food. awesome. OK, on to the food. We both got the plates of bbq. I got the brunswick stew and fries. Brunswick stew was horrid. Tasted like Campbell's Tomato with some diced chicken and some veggies thrown in. NO kidding. BBQ was so-so. Nothing to write home about. Daughter got the fried chicken leg. NOW THIS CHICKEN WAS AWESOME. But I didn't come here for that......Corn sticks were dry pieces of dough. They really had no taste. Anyway, went up to pay. Uh Oh. They don't take debit or credit. Wow, in this day and age? OK, so I go up to this 80 year old lady and told her I didn't have cash. Before I was finished, she said there's an ATM end of the counter, NEXT!!!!! Is what she yelled. Got my cash, paid the 2 dollar fee, then paid my bill. Anyway, we won't be going back. Ever. read more

This place should be written about in scientific magazines, because they have created a time travel machine. When I walked in the door after turning off of 95, I was magically transported to 1950. And not a silly retro dinner, but an actual time warp. I don't know my North Carolina BBQ, so I cannot speak of this restaurant with a connoisseur's palate. I also don't eat pork, which means that I can't sample the true icon of the region's cuisine. That being said, the chicken was amazing. The mac and cheese was creamy, rich, and full of flavor.Tthe unlimited sweet tea made this Northerner melt. And it was all cheap, too. Viva 1955! read more

If I had never eaten eastern NC BBQ and stopped at Parker's I would leave saying people that talk about how great eastern NC BBQ is are crazy, because this is pathetic. It is fine chopped, almost ground, and either under sauced and dry or over sauced. Brunswick stew usually tastes like it has been burnt or cooked in a pot with burnt leftovers. Cornbread sticks- if they are hot and recently cooked, you are lucky. They are good. If they were cooked more than 15 minutes ago, they are not so good. I love eastern NC BBQ, but if I have a choice I will skip Parker's. People used to line up out the door at Parker's. But that was 30 + years ago. Like many older NC BBQ restaurants they are still relying on their well deserved reputations from over 30 years ago and not serving a quality product anymore. If a place only accepts cash, yet they have an ATM in the building, who do you think gets the ATM fees? Them. read more

My family has been eating at Parkers for over 50 years. It is the gold standard of North Carolina barbecue. My waiter today was the manager. Great service. Most of the food comes out in family style bowls. It is worth the detour off I95 everywhere time I drive through the state. read more

We were told by several locals that Parker's was the best BBQ around. Maybe it's what they are used to here but certainly not what I would consider BBQ. Fried chicken was so overcooked it was bone dry. The waiter set a bowl of stuff in front of me and, when I asked what it was he said "It's our BBQ." It was a mushy paste, like it had been minced in a food processor. I asked for some BBQ sauce and he pointed to a bottle of red liquid at the end of the table that had the consistency of water. Asking what it was he said "vinegar and hot sauce." Basically it's vinegar with squirts of hot sauce to give it a reddish color. Certainly not what I would call BBQ sauce. Brunswick stew was like a thick tomato vegetable soup with some of their BBQ mixed in. One of the sides were tasteless deep fried strips, which I was told were corn sticks. If you're expecting the type(s) of BBQ like you would get in Memphis, Kansas City, Texas, etc., I think you'll be disappointed in what this place has to offer. read more

I've been coming to Parker's for years. The food is just as fantastic as the servers! They are fast and efficient. Excellent!

I was tempted to give it 5 stars to counterbalance all the low reviews, but a hero doesn't do that. I truly enjoyed this place. It's old school to the core and it has great food. I enjoyed the small combo of pulled pork and fried chicken. It's typical NC barbecue, which in vinegar based. Add some coleslaw and it was awesome. A few people have talked about the chicken being dry. I didn't get that. It was suuuper crispy, but it was moist so really the best of both worlds. The corn sticks were fine I guess, but the hush puppies were better. And the cost was amazing. I mean seriously the difference between the small combo and the large was around 63 cents. And there was an all you can eat option that was $8.99 which is bonkers. So if you're near Wilson, stop in. read more

Parker's only reinforced my belief why you should never eat at a BBQ joint that serves anything else but BBQ. But in this instance, that "anything else" actually is the only semi-redeeming quality about this place. * The pork was served barely warm, had a mushy consistency, and little flavor. There was no caramelization on the meat! That's, like, rule #1 in BBQ. It was also doused with too much salt, likely to mask the old meat. Unacceptable. * The sides SUCKED. Cole slaw tasted like it'd been prepared 3 days prior and was barely served chilled. It had a weird, mustard-like flavor, almost akin to potato salad. The corn sticks tasted like frozen bland taquitos from your local grocer's freezer, not homemade cornbread like you'd be expecting. The "homestyle potatoes" looked so unappetizing I didn't even touch them: boiled apples, anyone? Ditto for the brunswick "spew" (tee hee I'm so mean). Surprisingly, the fried chicken is the only thing worth eating here. The breast was big, juicy and clean, and fried to perfection, if a little underseasoned. The only other authentic thing was the outhouses out back. No indoor bathrooms, folks! I do hate to rat on this place b/c the service was so friendly, but bottom line, all pilgrimages to this bbq joint will be made in vain. read more

I consider myself a connoisseur of BBQ. I've had BBQ from Memphis, TX, Kansas City, St Louis....Never met a type of BBQ I didn't like. I love Eastern NC as well as the Lexington NC smoked with sweet sauce. Parkers has GREAT Eastern Vinegar. Just apply some hot sauce to your liking. They have been there 71 years and they know their biz. Wonderful Fried Chicken as well. At treat for sure. read more

Parkers is good, you just have know what you are getting in to. The first time I had it I didn't like it but my wife's family used to order takeout all the time. After a few tries it really grew on me. We normally go to the other Carolina BBQ place in Wilson, but in terms of quality they are close. To those who don't know: Carolina BBQ is vinegar based pulled pork. You will not find any tomato-based sauce in this restaurant. Parker's serves food as "all-you-can-eat". When you are done somebody brings more to your table. The service is always great read more

Talk about taking a trip back in time! In March I went to NC with the bf for a visit with his family, and during the first hour it was decided I had to eat at Parkers. I have to say, it was quite the experience! My bf had actually never eaten inside, back in the day "we" were not allowed inside, so he and his family had always gotten take out from the kitchen and eaten outside at the picnic tables, but it was SO hot out and this girl from the North East was not about to sweat my make up off, so inside it was. I don't think the place has changed much since the early 60's, and that's fine cause it clearly works for them! I wasn't sure what to expect from the food, I had been told that Carolina BBQ was much different than what I was used to, so I let the bf do the ordering and I was not disappointed. The food was amazing! I was a big fan of the fried chicken and the hush puppies were to die for! The only thing I didn't really like was the soda came in cans, so no refills, and this food makes you thirsty, but other than that it was great. Also, this place doesn't take credit cards, so make sure to have some cash handy. read more