My friend came from out of town and took her to Sam Jones BBQ to check out real Eastern NC BBQ. We really enjoyed the chopped BBQ and sides, but the cornbread really left a lot to be desired. It was dense, rubbery and flavorless. I've eaten there once before and really enjoyed the fried catfish and chicken tenders too. I will definitely come back, but will try some of the other bread options. read more

Good BBQ. Good Sides. Great Burger. Friendly Counter Service. Kind of reminded me of City BBQ, except Eastern NC style and better pork BBQ. read more

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We have visited twice and enjoy the casual vibe and food. The pulled pork is vinegar-based, just the way I like it. On the first visit, it had crunchy bits in it, which was different, and I assumed was something like pork rinds. The second time it did not, which then made me question... what was in the first sandwich? Our biggest issue was how they handled the meal of someone in our party's food allergies, which resulted in politely returning his meal twice (literally covered in cheese and he had a severe dairy allergy). It was a miscommunication between the front of the house and the kitchen, and they were apologetic, but regardless, it was frustrating and resulted in a diminished experience for everyone. I know everyone and business has off-days, but if you have food allergies, I would highly suggest being even more vigilant than normal. read more

Great & Fast Service! First time going to Sam Jones BBQ and the food was chefs kiss. We ate outside and tables were nice, clean, and plenty of napkins etc on the table. read more

Someone : How was your experience at Sam Jones BBQ Me:Our waitress was nice... Didn't get her name but she did a great job explaining what was in the food to us. As for the actual food. The pork tasted like tuna. The cornbread was just awful. Fries were okay. The salt of the earth drink was mediocre. Overall do not come here. read more

Met up with an old friend while passing through Raleigh at Sam Jones BBQ. We sat at the bar to wait for them and ordered two local beers (Catawba White Zombie and a local Amber Ale). Both frosty cold and welcomed on a 90+ degree day. Staff was friendly enough and offered a few menu suggestions. Placed our order for food at the bar, were given a number and grabbed a table. The space is large, clean and well lit with a few booths and tables for larger groups. It was a Sunday evening and had a bit of a dinner rush, but not enough to ever get crowded. We ordered smoked wings, ribs, a 2-meat plate and the house special plate. The smoked wings were very good as were the ribs. They offer two types of BBQ sauce on the table, vinegar-based and sweet. The ribs and chicken were well seasoned and didn't need much sauce which is a plus in my book, but the sweet sauce was perfect for the smoked, shredded pork. The collard greens were very good, the coleslaw ok and the corn muffin left something to be desired. Portions are large so our friend had lots of leftovers to take home. read more

So glad that Sam Jones made it to Raleigh. We have a respectable whole hog establishment to take out of towners without taking an hour or two pilgrimage down east. One of the top Eastern NC BBQ pits has been replicated effectively in Raleigh, Bravo! A++ chopped bbq, ribs, chicken and sides. read more

Enjoyed dinner with family here. Definitely great bbq. The Mac n cheese, smoked Turkey, pork bbq, baked beans, are all great! The cornbread however is terrible, and a weird texture to go with it. Good prices for kids food, and regular sized adult meals. Not big enough to take home leftovers but enough to fill you up. 2 of us had the banana pudding and it was okay. Considering most of the other bbq places cover their bbq in vinegar, and others sides are terrible, this fits our family well. We will definitely eat here again, just not going to order the cornbread. PS-if this place needs a good cornbread recipe, let me know cause I make an awesome cornbread!! read more

Did someone say bbq?? Sam Jones is the newest bbq joint to come to Raleigh. However, they're not new to the 'que scene. They started out in Greenville, NC and decided to make another home in Raleigh. The bbq is chopped rather than pulled and served up without sauce so you can add as little or as much as you want. The smoked chicken is juicy and tender. My favorite part of this meal was the Mac and cheese. It's sooo good. Make your way to Lenoir St for some good bbq and hospitality. read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Two meat combo with slaw and Mac and cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Solid BBQ joint in downtown Raleigh. BBQ Pork was good, but not the best. Great short ribs, but not the best. If you like your fries soggy, you're in luck (I'd like them to be crispier). Their sweet BBQ sauce was the highlight and made everything much better: fries, BBQ, and even a little on top of the short ribs. Their bourbon Cheerwine slushy was another highlight. Cheerwine is certainly a Carolina staple. Good stuff! I was expecting substantially better, but what I got was rather average. read more

Great food, nice atmosphere. We ate at the bar, all the people working were very friendly. I will return!

Don't dare put bbq sauce on this bbq. After trying the famous ones all over the Carolinas north and south ( Scott family in SC, Lexington in NC, and about forty others known and not so well known), this is the pinnacle of what pulled pork is all about. The pork is naturally sweet and so moist and tender. No heavy smoke flavor here. This has been sweetly kissed by natural wood coals. The way bbq is supposed to be. The chopped cracklings get mix in and provide and extra boost of flavor. Nothing beats this. And the sides--well the beans are spot on. The Mac and cheese is well balanced and is a true southern baked Mac and cheese. No salty Velveeta artificial taste. The collards were tender and yes they do use vinegar. The slaw is the sweet no mayo type. The cornbread is not fluffy corn cake; it is a modified hot water corn bread. Flat and crispy. This is simple pure BBQ and is the standard to which all others should strive to be This is our second visit--We drove an hour and we will be back read more

Get the Jones Family BBQ Tray with slaw and cornbread and be immediately transported to eastern NC where whole hog BBQ rules. What sets Sam Jones and their other family restaurants apart from the rest is the crispy pork skin chopped back into the meat along with the simple yet flavorful vinegar based sauce applied in the kitchen which perfectly complements the natural flavor of the meat along with the smoke. There are no words to describe the texture and flavor of their BBQ. It is the best I have ever had, hands down. The slaw is simple and delicious and pairs perfectly with the BBQ. The cornbread is very rich and dense and compliments the pork and slaw pairing perfectly. Other sides that I have sampled have also been good. This is easily the best representation of eastern NC whole hog BBQ in the Raleigh area. Please support your local businesses! read more

Nice spot. Meats are cooked perfectly. Sides were a bit bland. Salad didn't have a lot of meat. My husband enjoyed it. We'll likely be back for ribs and chicken wings. read more

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fries were raw, Vary small portions as well. Corn bread was dry the baked beans were great tasteful. Definitely expected more.

Great service and even better food.. the normal stuff is ribs, bbq chopped, and turkey are some of the local favorites

Had I know that this was some cousin of an authentic restaurant profiting from the name I likely would have skipped it but being from out if town I wanted barbecue and was thoroughly disappointed with the Applebees aesthetic, the bland food, and the utter abomination of a doorstop that is their "Skylight Inn" cornbread. read more

We had dinner here tonight and it was excellent. The BBQ, ribs, Mac, breads, chips and so on were very good. We were just visiting Raleigh for the day so we didn't know where to go and were so happy to find this place. The neighborhood is nice and the service was friendly and helpful. We'd totally come back next time we are not town. read more

Spare ribs were tough and chewy like rubber. Overpriced for the quality. Service was okay.

Food tasted fine. Portion size is my issue. Lets start off, i am from Tx, we prob do things a bit different. But lets be REAL, three meat plate with small chicken thigh, 1.5 slice of turkey and 1.5 slice of brisket (mostly fat) for $22. Yes it had two sides and a bread. I don't need a ginormous amount of sides, i want BBQ! I came for meat! So for me, no go. Just my opinion. Oh the place is stunning. Very nice sitting area. Maybe thats why it is so expensive, to make that nice bldg! read more

Five stars! I would say this is definitely a top three BBQ spot in Raleigh. I was suggested this hidden gem by a local and decided to give it a shot and boy... was I thrilled to get a taste of that tasty meat ( ° °) Don't even get me started on those collard greens and mac and cheese, they were divine. To my surprise this establishment also carries one of the finest alcoholic slushees around. Really good stuff, give it a try! read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Pete Jones BBQ Sandwich with Slaw and Collard Greens - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

The sweet potato muffin and Mac n cheese is not to be missed! Can't wait to go back here and try more things. read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Collards, sweet potato muffin, Mac and cheese, and turkey was amazing - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

As a long-time fan of Pete Jones' BBQ in Ayden I was very happy when Sam Jones BBQ opened and even happier when they began taking curbside orders. My companion and I both ordered the BBQ pork. For sides, we both chose the sweet slaw, while she chose the mac and cheese and I chose fries for our second side. We both thought that the slaw was outstanding. It was my favorite part of the meal. I was able to try a bite of the mac-and-cheese and thought it was excellent as well. Despite requesting extra-crispy fries on the online order form, my fries were flaccid, cold, and had obviously been sitting around for a while. Yuck. The sweet potato muffin was a strong "meh". It hurts me to say this as a devotee of Pete Jones' style BBQ, but the chopped pork was just uninspired. The pork wasn't bland, but it was not especially flavorful either. Although it had a few small bits of skin mixed in, they were soft and not flavorful compared to the crispy little flavor bombs of goodness from the original restaurant in Ayden. Maybe they were just having an off day? Pro tip: Although it isn't mentioned on your receipt email, there is a curbside pickup area in the back of the restaurant. After parking in front, they called and politely asked us to pull around. If the restaurant expects Customers to park in a specific place, they should make note of it somewhere on the receipt, possibly just above the link that you click to inform them of your arrival. read more

I need more stars to give. I've eaten at every bbq place between Burlington and I95 and this is the best. The pulled pork is off the charts. I had the potato salad and sweet slaw. Like the pork, they are traditional sides and are great as well. read more

We took some friends to Sam Jones at 630. We placed our orders , paid and found some seats. Fifteen minutes later they brought one order of barbecue and told us that they had sold out of barbecue, turkey and chicken- everything that we had ordered. They offered us chicken wings, hamburgers or fried fish. It was a very disappointing experience. I will not go back. read more

Really enjoyed the smoked chicken with sides. Highly recommended. Quick service as well. read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Smoked chicken, cole slaw, fries, and corn bread - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Definitely a skip! Cornbread is thin and tasteless, giant bones in the pork, fries were cold. Garden salad and banana pudding were the only edible parts. Pimento cheese was mostly just shredded cheese in a pile, no pimento. read more

Yum! I'm from out of town and love to stop in every time I'm in Raleigh. Love this place!

I was visiting my parents from Vegas this past weekend & wanted to try some BBQ in Raleigh. This place was highlsuggested on a couple different platforms. Definitely exceeded my expectations! The restaurant was so nice with plenty of indoor & outdoor seating. Highly recommend stopping by! read more

Sam Jones BBQ - Chopped BBQ, chicken, spareribs, sweet slaw, baked beans, collard greens, & potato salad. - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Hit the jackpot I ordered the slow cooked chicken, mac & cheese, and baked beans. Delicious food. Only 2 barbecue sauces but they're BOTH amazing. the only thing I didn't like was the cornbread. BUT their sweet potato muffins more than make up for the cornbread gone wrong. they have a lovely al fresco style patio seating. family-friendly. if I had an event, I would definitely want them to cater. read more

Chicken was raw... Had some sort of gross square hard dry bread (which was greasy). Coleslaw was disgusting. Sweet tea was alright and so was the mac and cheese. I will not be returning sry ‍ read more

Ribs, wings and Mac & Cheese were good but was pretty underwhelmed by the pulled pork and chicken. Never had cornbread like this before and not in a good way -- it was dry with a weird consistency and not sweet at all. BBQ sauce was good but they barely gave us any even though we ordered a ton of food. read more

just finished the take home leftovers from lunch, so give me a sec... ok. I pass by sam jones on the way to work each day, so I came in one my day off with my 86 year old father. get the old guy out and experience life down here in Raleigh, as we are from new york my folks gravitated down down for the sun and warmth as so many new yorkers do. and we have zero experience with bar b que. with southern cuisine in general, but, we are working on it. so I'm going to order for us, and since his eyes are shot and mine aren't much better by now, I just ask for the beef brisket sandwich. since, I figured, every bar b que place has some variation of this standard. staple. of southern cooking. but, no beef brisket. I go to the second, supposed, staple of bar b que lore, the pulled pork sandwich. then, again, defeat, or confusion, something...( I have eaten at The Pit, down the road from sams, and City Barbque in Cary. before now.) The man behind the counter explains that brisket is more of a Texas style thing ( I had no idea,) and Sam Jones is more Eastern style...like where we are now, the man politely does not mention, so, ok, I've embarrassed myself enough for one meal, I just point at two sandwiches, order a side of slaw and a side of potato salad, and sit down with the old man to eat. The pulled chicken sandwich, and the smoked turkey. BOTH were absolutely magnificent. Delicious. Just as good, if not better, than the brisket sandwich I am used to. far better bread. far more tender than any chicken or pork I've had elsewhere. Now, I see there is a chopped pork sandwich on the menu. Thats going to be next. The potato salad was good, its not moms stuff from years ago but it was good, the slaw was...different style than I've ever had, but next time I get fries and some other side. I'm gonna work my way across the entire menu. and I'm glad my father made me wait to finish the rest off, instead of just eating it all there. Lunch has inspired me to be more patient with life. and things. one final thing, though... why don't you do a beef brisket? I'm starting to starve, here, thinking about the sandwich you could make. from a smoked, I imagine, beef brisket...I'll ask next time... read more

Very clean looking establishment. Nice property and seating areas. My brother and I figured we check this place out as we were on the hunt for some good BBQ. I was very disappointed with both the food and the service. We walked in I immediately notice a fridge with what looks like a nice selection of beers. I asked the person at the counter if we could purchase a couple of cans to go with our meal and he did not know the answer and had to ask. He went over to some other person who took one glance over at us and said no. He came back and said that he couldn't sell me any cans of beer to go with our meal. I asked is there is reason why and he said he didn't know why, he just couldn't. I decided not to push the issue. We ordered four adult meals and two kids meals. This all consisted of chicken, "bbq" which I assumed is pork, and ribs. As we were handed our order, one of the servers places eight small sauce containers on the counter. I asked if we could have something to carry it in as it was destined to be a disaster. He brings us a paper bag. I looked around and grabbed a to go food container which the small sauce containers fit nicely in and satisfied my own request. The chicken was very dry, the "bbq" was even dryer and tough. No tenderness or moister at all. The ribs were in better shape but tasted like deli cut ham. Can't say I have ever really had ribs that had that taste and not sure I want too again. I left the cornbread for last because I have to say, It was the worst cornbread I have ever had, hands down. It feels like a brick of building material and it tastes like it should be. I rarely spit out food and I had to spit it out. read more

Cornbread was definitely missing an ingredient. It was so dense you could smash a window with it. The chopped BBQ, what they are known for, tasted like it was steamed instead of smoked. Mac and cheese is definitely from a box. Ribs way to fatty, but smoked for a long time and quite tender. There were more flies in the dining room that outside. Coleslaw is chopped, which is interesting, however the coleslaw dressing is basically oil and sugar. No flavor. Overall it is a complete waste of money and a place I'll never go to again. read more

Fantastic BBQ. No fat on the BBQ. Really juicy smoked turkey, brilliantly spiced chicken. Affordable. Perfect after work. My crew loved it and wants to come back! read more

As an ACF Certified Culinarian, former restauranteur, and devout foodie, I was excited when my friends asked me to join them at this BBQ joint in downtown Raleigh. The menu was enticing and we had all heard good things about the food. Unfortunately, our experience was less than great and we found the food mediocre at best. First of all, the food was not hot when it was served, which is never a good sign. The chopped bbq, collards, and Mac and cheese were pretty much at room temp. The so-called corn bread, was nothing like bread at all and more like a slab of polenta or cold grits. The Coleslaw and baked beans were sickeningly sweet. I suspect the BBQ is cooked in Greenville and transported to Raleigh. We placed our orders and paid at the counter and then seated ourselves. Two of us received our (cold) food right away, although my order was wrong (wrong sides). Our companion, however, waited over 20 minutes after we had been served to get her order and it was twice delivered incorrectly. The 2nd time she was delivered the wrong order she told the waiter vehemently "no, no, this is not what I ordered!" She finally got the correct food and asked for a to-go box to take it home. What is the most disturbing part of our experience was that the Manager came over to our table and looked at my friend and said accusingly "I understand there was some foul language over here about someone's food?" My friends were clearly stunned so I piped up and said "there was no foul language, she had to wait over 20 minutes to get her meal after we were served!" The manager then just responded with an OK and left. I was incensed that she was not offered an apology, a gratis dessert, or anything else! This is not customer service any where and especially not what is expected in the South! In these times of COVID we are trying our best to support local businesses and we should all be treated graciously for doing our part. I for one, will not be returning to Sam Jones BBQ. read more

Food at Sam Jones BBQ was good. My daughter and I had duplicate orders, one pound of spareribs, collard greens, Mac-n-cheese, cornbread. Spareribs we're tasty, just not fall off the bone. Greens were well seasoned. Maybe just a touch less vinegar on the greens. Mac-n-cheese was outstanding! Super cheesy and delicious! The one downside was the cornbread. Had no taste none whatsoever! If I'm back at Sam Jones BBQ again, I'll go with the sweet potato corn muffin. read more

Very tasty bbq. I'm from Florida and by far this is really good bbq. I will definitely recommend this restaurant to all. read more

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

Used to really like this place until a employee came out extremely aggressive while I parked before business hours one person ruins it for us all read more