Two meat meal. With ribs and BBQ pork. Sides of greens and mac & cheese were plentiful and amazing. Atmosphere is great. Definitely a repeat. read more

Delicious pulled pork. Clean restaurant. Nice modern decor. Quick service to table (get a number). Would return when in Raleigh.

I'm from chicago, and I was looking forward to try some barbecue in North Carolina. The place is solid but not amazing. I would recommend getting the meat with the sweet sauce and skip any sides besides fries. The meat - it's good! We got the ribs. Dry rub alone is solid. Cooked well and not dry. I would recommend it. The sauce - feel free to skip the vinegar sauce. It tastes okay but is very watery so it's more like a malt vinegar than a sauce. The sweet sauce is more viscous and tastes good. If you're feeling spicy, mix them both! The sides - fries were standard and good. Coleslaw was not good and more of a wet mash than a good slaw. Cornbread texture is strangely gummy - it is like a thick chewy corn granola bar. Interior - nice interior and a good vibe. Outdoor patio seating available too. read more

So much mean on the ribs. They are extremely tender with great Caroline bbq sauce. Corn bread was a dense brick and almost no flavor.

Oh Sam Jones... I believe that you can be better... the BBQ is tasty, but everyone knows the sides are where it's at. The recipes for the side items need work - the greens are too vinegary and could be seasoned a bit more, the mac and cheese misses the mark - it's bland .. maybe try adding some extra sharp cheddar and a dash of pepper to the recipe, and the cornbread... sir, with all due respect, please stop selling that cornmeal and water brick. The cornbread recipe needs to be scrapped and start completely over. I'm generously giving 3 stars - mostly for smiling employees and the BBQ. Reach out to me if you would like to employ my services in adjusting your recipes. read more

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Pros: Food came out quick, service was great Cons: Food was good, not great which is what it was hyped up to be. Cornbread was rather interesting.... read more

I ordered delivery from this place... the delivery was fine. The meat (spare ribs and dark meat chicken were ok, the sides (baked beans and potato salad) were ok... I thought I ordered cornbread but what they sent was in no way cornbread. It was a dense rectangle of some kind that dough-like thing... it did not smell like cornbread and certainly didn't taste like it. I tried a bite and ended up spitting it out... I almost never do that but this was just gross. I spent over $40 to have delivered... I was ripped off. No idea how this place has a 4.5 review... read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Not cornbread in any way, I have no idea what is was... other than disgusting... - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

This review is coming from a Texan. I would have to say that this is top 5 BBQ I have ever had anywhere, minus the fact that they don't have brisket !!! The ribs and Turkey are amazing. Most try !!!! read more

This is the most mid bbq you will ever eat in your life. There's absolutely nothing special about it. They were out of brisket before lunch time and there was hardly a crowd. Their burnt ends were fat pieces of jerky. The bbq sandwich was just ok and so were the sides. Overall, I was not impressed. I'll continue to drive to Benson, NC for good bbq. read more

I would definitely reccomend Sam Jones BBQ. The food was tasty, service was great, and the atmosphere was very laidback! We went for Friday night dinner, and it wasn't that busy. I'm thinking this would be more of a lunch spot. If you go for dinner, I reccomend sitting at the bar. We had a great bartender! The one downfall is the cornbread- not a fan at all. I would substitute it for the toast! Overall, a great restaurant to get some tasty North Carolina BBQ! read more

Sam Jones BBQ - BBQ plate, mac n cheese, toast, Moscow mule - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

The service was the tops. Very friendly waitress - wonderful old school ambiance. Had the ribs, slaw and beans x 2 with my son. Will be back every time I visit Raleigh. read more

Waters down the alcohol. Orders a bulliet old fashioned was almost clear, what the heck, order a shot to add, shot was watered down. If you go here order beer in containers, I will not be back. read more

This place is a don't miss out kind of thing! I'm from Texas and believe I know very good BBQ. But the food here is just oh my my different. It makes you say mmmm out loud with every bite. Pound of ribs were unreasonably delicious, super meaty, moist, fell right off the bone. The pulled pork was extra lean and seasoned to perfection. Collared greens and beans were hot and perfectly seasoned like truly homemade. The cornbread was something special, nothing like I've ever had before! But the best part is the homemade sauces. I tried the vinegar one just out of peculiar curiosity and not only is it drinkable but also adds the most delightful garnish to any of the food! The sweet sauce is just as good. Service wasn't the best part, but one lady tried. Definitely don't miss this place! read more

Sam Jones BBQ - The Jones family original: pulled pork, collared greens, and cornbread (not pictured) plus a pound of ribs. - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Loved the food, family went there for a late lunch. The food was awesome and the staff were very kind and the place was very clean. Highly recommended if you are in the area read more

We drove 60 min. on 3/11/2025 to enjoy Sam Jones highly rated barbecue restaurant in Raleigh, NC. For 80 years we have searched out slow smoked barbecue, and continue to find some outstanding ones. First, upon arrival, there was no evidence of smoke either inside or outside the restaurant. We arrived at 7 p.m. Tue, so there were no ribs left. Upon observing and eating the chicken, there was no evidence it being smoked, plus no pink smoke ring existed just under the skin. The pork had a slight bit of smoked taste. The collards were cooked in vinegar. The baked beans couldn't have been any sweeter--not sure what could have made them any sweeter. The cornbread was a disgrace, heavy, dense, cold, tasteless. Wondered if it had been stirred at all before baking. We grew up in the South. We are familiar with good cornbread. The sweet potato muffin was slightly better. The potato salad was fine. The music prevented easy speech between 2 people . Our experience was nothing like the many very positive reviews. We will NOT return, and hope you can stay in business. It deserves 1* rating. John N. read more

I ordered cornbread from here one time and they basically gave me a hockey puck. Boooooooooooooo go back to box mix fam.

The absolute finest barbecue in Raleigh. Whole hog, with some cracklings in the chop. The slaw is perfect, the buns are perfect. They will even put pickles on if you ask. Very clean. Friendly, courteous service. I have to try other things on the menu, but I am stuck on the out of this world chopped barbecue sandwich. Stellar read more

Alright I decided to give Sam Jones another try and they redeemed themselves. Mostly because I got the sweet potato bread this time instead of the cornbread. Also the pulled pork was excellent this time. Wish there was some butter available to go along with the sweet potato bread but otherwise no complaints this time! read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Awesome service and delicious food. Had wings with white sauce, macaroni and cheese and collards and everything was on point!

Really great place that we all enjoyed. Stay away from the corn bread it's awful. Everything else everyone loved. Will go back

Sam Jones will ever be etched into our family's history. My brother and I took our father there for his birthday lunch. We ate outside in the sunshine and enjoyed ourselves. The food was fantastic, the service was great (except for the construction workers that cut the line) and the venue was nice. Sadly, it was the last time I saw my father alive as he passed away peacefully, a few days later. read more

BBQ is one of those things that are really hit or miss and I'm glad to say this place was definitely a hit. I appreciate the 3 meat option so I could get a little bit of everything to try. The Carolina style chopped pork hit the spot and the turkey breast and ribs were equally delicious. Not a dry piece of meat in sight. Granted I haven't tried many places in Raleigh, but this will be a repeat location for me! read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Chopped pork, ribs, smoked turkey, cornbread, collard greens and sweet slaw. - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

It was good, but a little pricey. They had outdoor tables and dining room service. It's right smack in downtown Raleigh. It will be busy!

I went back today and just got a simple barbecue sandwich. It was not particularly flavorful, and it had too much gristle in it for a $12 sandwich. The collard greens remained good. I'm still confused about the lack of lemon for the iced tea. I just don't see why I'd want to come back. Honestly, I feel like I get better barbecue from Clyde Cooper's or Smithfield's for, like, half the price. read more

Does not look like much when you drive by, as it is nestled in a neighborhood, but this is some damn good local BBQ. They use a vinegar sauce, which leaves you craving more. Went with the Original BBQ plate and was not disappointed read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Original BBQ Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I realize everyone has said this but it might be buried in their reviews. Do not get the cornbread. It's awful. Cornmeal and water seemingly steamed to a rubber texture. No salt or sugar. Now on to the rest of the review. First visit over lunch. Picnic tables outside have no shade FYI. They were out of ribs so got the chicken which was small but good. Potato salad good, lots of pickles no onion. Collards not that good. Friends said French fries not that good, Mac and cheese good and pulled pork good. BBQ sauces are sweet no heat. Staff was nice. Slow to order but food came quickly. read more

Visited for lunch today July 13th. The young lady working the cash register didn't greet us. Didn't smile during the ordering and payment. Didn't say thank you. Just a blank stare like she hates her job. The food was great as always but this employee could use some customer service training. read more

This is great Eastern NC barbecue. The restaurant has a true hip, downtown Raleigh vibe with outdoor seating at picnic tables under patio lights (That part is not representative of Eastern NC family restaurants). They offer craft beers and craft cocktails. I had the sweet tea. The barbecue carries on the tradition of the Skylight Inn 90 minutes East in Ayden. I had the pimento cheese with pig skins and it was the best I have had! I will say the same for their Sweat Heat sauce, cole slaw, and banana pudding. All were some of the best I have had in a restaurant. The cornbread is more like the corn sticks you will find in Eastern NC. It is authentic and more dense than typical cornbread. If you're expecting Cracker Barrel's you should think of this as a cultural experience and appreciate it for what it is. I also had the pork sandwich. It was great and I recommend it for your first visit. I also liked my collard greens. You might find other barbecue that you prefer over this but you won't be disappointed here. This is a great place to visit if in Raleigh from out of state and want a taste of Raleigh, NC. read more

Attended a family reunion the food was catered and delicious the rids smoke to perfection, chicken the same, chopped b-b-q scrumptious, collards excellent. Don't pass this place up!!! read more

This place was recommended to us and we finally went today. Overall, we were happy with our meal and would come back! The pulled pork, baked beans, Mac and cheese, coleslaw, and potato salad were great. Good sauces too. My parents both got the chicken and said it was just okay, wouldn't order it again. But the cornbread was the worst cornbread I ever had in my life. Hard as a brick and flavorless. I would steer clear if it. read more

Sam Jones catered our Triangle Talks event last night at the Slalom office in Raleigh. We had about 50 guests who devoured a fantastic spread of chicken, pulled pork, mac & cheese, beans, and slaw. The pork was shredded to perfection, with rich flavor and some cracklins scattered throughout. The chicken was juicy and flavorful, with a savory smoky taste. The sides were just right, balancing out the meal. Our guests were well fed and raved about the food. Thank you Sam Jones for your excellent food and service - we'll be back! read more

Everything we ordered was excellent. The Turkey and the mac were our favorites. Homemade chips were on point as well.

Wings - amazing! If you are a chicken wing connoisseur you should definitely stop if even just for the wings. Sweet potato muffin - good Potato salad was OK but not my favorite. There's seems to be mayo based. read more

First time to Jones and BBQ. The Jones sandwich was delicious. Pork is nicely chopped and I appreciate the naked presentation so I can add my own sauces. Mac & Cheese, sweet slaw and collard greens were also really good! That being said, just two things that really threw me off. 1. The cornbread is incredibly dense and rubbery. 2. There were ground bits of tough muscle tissue in the chopped pork. I noticed a number of other reviews highlighting the cornbread. If this is something you intend to keep on the menu, please consider offering another version of cornbread that people are more accustomed to. :) read more

This place lives up to the hype! Outstanding barbecue and sides. Staff was thoughtful and courteous. A can't miss for barbecue fans in the Raleigh area. read more

Awesome had chopped chicken sandwich with house sweet bbq sauce a side of macaroni and cheese and banana pudding all excellent I recommend and I will be back read more

The Bad: Food was barely warm. We were eating around 7pm. The cornbread has the consistency of clay. It's really dense. Not sure if thats a NC thing. I've lived in the South all of my life and have never had cornbread like that. The chicken wasn't that great for smoked chicken but decent. The Good: The whole hog BBQ is where it's at. We had the smoked turkey too, which was very good. But if you're going to order one meat make it the whole hog pork. The vinegar BBQ sauce also amazing. The collards were pretty decent. A little vinegary for my taste but still good. Mac N Cheese was a baked style that would've been better if it was a hot temp. Overall pretty good. read more

My husband and I have lived all over the US. We are BBQ snobs. From KC to Texas, Alabama to Florida, East & West NC and this BBQ was delicious. We had Turkey which was moist and delicious, BBQ Pork Ribs melted in your mouth and BBQ Pork was absolutely the best I've had in a long time. Macaroni & Cheese was really cheesy & creamy. My hubby had the banana pudding and said it was delicious. We talked to the manager Tom, he told us that everything on the menu is made from scratch. All the sauces and salad dressings (the honey mustard was so good, a little spicy) the salad was gigantic. I will eat here again!! The service was fast. The ambiance was nice, it had indoor seating and outdoor seating where you can bring your pup, upstairs was a party area. Nice facility and very clean. read more

Best. BBQ. Ever! Family and dog friendly! We were silent while eating (and that says TONS with this crew) as we savored every morsel of this meal! read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Pulled pork sandwich and collard greens - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

As an admitted bbq snob this pork was good. It had a great flavor and was still moist. I really liked these vinegar sauce too. The baked beans were good and similar to how my family makes them. The cornbread needed a rising agent it was very stodgy. My husband got the potato salad and slaw with his and did not like either. He said the slaw was sweet enough to be a dessert. read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina