Fly from Miami to Raleigh-Durham with the primary goal of visiting a barbecue joint that's a three-hour round-trip drive away, located in a small town with virtually nothing else to see, and you'll understand how I view food experiences. There was a very real risk of wasting an entire day. Thankfully, Skylight Inn delivered in a big way. First, this is the kind of place that attracts everyone: police officers, construction workers, families, businesspeople in suits, and that's just on a weekday. That's always a good sign and something I love to see. Their whole hog Eastern North Carolina barbecue was absolutely worth the effort. It was incredibly flavorful and packed with texture. The crispy skin is expertly mixed throughout the meat, alongside moist pork and just enough rendered fat to create a perfect balance. Every bite had something different going on. The sweet tea was excellent, the slaw was solid, and the picnic-style potato salad hit the spot. The cornbread, however, deserves special mention. Unlike what most people think of as cornbread today, Skylight's version is made with only stone-ground cornmeal, water, salt, and pork drippings. It's dense, chewy, and rustic. No wheat flour, no sugar, and no fluffy crumb. It may not be everyone's favorite, but it's a fascinating piece of barbecue history, and I respect that they're still making it the traditional way. I came. I saw. I ate. Then I bought three pounds to go and grabbed a T-shirt on my way out. That's about as strong an endorsement as I can give. PS.....Walking the grounds is fun as well. read more

I'm from out of town and my son who lives in Raleigh really wanted me to go here so we drove almost an hr and a half to go here, and I'm so glad we did. It was a Thursday and very busy but no so busy we had to wait very long. Just good to see all kind of people really for some BBQ. The food was fantastic and I loved the sides. I'm a big Cole slaw fan and this was very finely shopped up slaw with amazing flavor. They leave the crispy skin in the pork to give you these little yummy surprises as you eat. Plenty of room in the dinning area and a covered outdoor picnic table area. read more

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Turned out I didn't care for most of the sides. December Friday evening 5pm. The place was empty. Chicken- they were out of dark meat. Chicken breast half was moist and tasty. I did like their sauce and this part of my meal. Coleslaw- too sweet for me. Nice texture. Potato salad- didn't care for it. Slightly to sweet. Corn cake- sorry but what is this burnt dense piece of square? I couldn't finish it. Banana pudding- had good flavor but I really struggled with the mushy texture and brown color here. Pork Bbq- hubby reported good taste and texture but was very room temp. Could have stood to be hotter. I guess sitting out on the wood block doesn't help. For me, not a great value. When you only enjoyed 1 of the 5 things you ate, that is a low rating automatically. Service- friendly and quick. As soon as we sat down, there was a homeless guy begging for food. This was upsetting because we don't know this individual or knew what intentions he had. Just came out of nowhere into the dining room. Not sure if the employees noticed while they were cleaning up the kitchen. Play back the camera feed. What if I was alone without my hubby. Very unsettling!!!!! We won't be back, read more

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Lived in Houston TX. That is where one can find the best by far barbecue in the world till now! That honor of being best now belongs to the Skylight Inn BBQ barbecue! The BBQ from the Skylight Inn is better than any others by far! read more

I have had bbq in almost every state in the south, this is the best I have ever tasted. The secret is the cracklings in the chopped whole hog bbq. The slaw is light and skightly sweet, the potato salad has a little bite (my only preference would be more pickles in it). The corn bread is crispy and flavorful, try dipping it in the vinegar based sauce. The two sauces are perfection. Get the Cheerwine with your pig plate. I come here multiple times every time I visit my mom in Greenville. The best bbq on the planet. read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Pig plate - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

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Absolutely the very best BBQ in Eastern North Carolina. Everything on the menu is delicious. I highly recommend giving them a try. read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Medium BBQ plate. - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

Dined here today and the food was absolutely phenomenal. We waited in line for about 20 minutes around 2:30 pm. We ordered the family pack and got the BBQ, chicken, baked beans, potato salad and the slaw with cornbread. The chicken was good, but didn't have anything on the BBQ. Next time, we'd just get BBQ - truly the best BBQ we've ever had. Both sauces were amazing and we ended up buying one of each. It was very busy but inviting. My only "complaint" was that they didn't ask if we wanted to dine in or take out and gave us everything in containers without utensils and forgot our cornbread. The utensils aren't readily available (they're behind the counter) so I had to wait beside the long line to ask for utensils and our cornbread. read more

Friendly staff and Great NC BBQ made fresh daily. Tasty corn bread and Southern sides. We will definitely be going back for more! read more

Maybe the best Eastern NC style bbq there is, watching them chop it in the window behind the front desk is mesmerizing. Smoky, rich and delicious. Not a slaw person but my mom finished both servings, so I assume it's good. The flat, hard cornbread that's prevalent in Eastern NC is not my favorite; I prefer fluffy and light. But it tasted fine, just didn't dig the texture. read more

Just want to share with everyone that is thinking about ordering bbq from Skylight online through GoldBelly that you will be very disappointed. I ordered a chopped bbq meal for 4 people for over $100. It just arrived and there is enough baked beans and potato salad for 4 people....but the most important item....the bbq....will only feed 1 person....so I am pissed. I dropped everything to immediately write this review to warn others. There is just enough bbq to make a couple of sandwiches. What a rip off!! read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Rip Off - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

This visit was a long time coming and we finally crossed it off our bucket list! My partner saw Skylight featured on a Munchies episode years ago and has since then tried hard to find a reason to go to NC to try it, so we figured why not just make a whole trip just for Skylight! It's a bit of a drive from Raleigh/Durham where we were staying but a nice way to get a mini road trip in. We really appreciated that they stay so true to the Carolina bbq method and walking around you can see the piles and piles of wood they use for smoking. We both got the whole hog bbq tray with cornbread and coleslaw and the banana pudding. Love the bbq and both sauces are uniquely delicious!! The sides were ok, cornbread was yum when hot but a bit oily when cold and the coleslaw had a bit of a strange texture to me, almost like it was pre-chewed, but just my interpretation. The banana pudding is very sweet, but nice to round out the meal. read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

Come early! I was here at 10:10am and there was already a line. I've been here before. Great food! Tip the guys working here! They deserve it! read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

My son and I decided that we would make the pilgrimage to Ayden NC to taste the offerings of this iconic Eastern NC BBQ restaurant, then we will travel a few miles into the town and stop at Bum's, another venerable BBQ joint and more. A17-year-old named Walter B. "Pete" Jones began cooking whole hogs over hard wood at this location in 1947, becoming the cornerstone of Eastern style NC barbecue. Moore came from a long-time barbecue cooking family, beginning with his great-great-grandfather, who sold pork barbecue from a wagon beginning in the mid 1800's! References to whole hog cooking goes back as far as the early 1700's in North Carolina. This iconic BBQ restaurant is still going strong today operated by Pete's grandson, Sam Jones. This is a simple, worn, barebones barbecue joint with no table service, with a plain but serviceable dining area, built not for comfort but for eating. You order at the register and the food will come out quickly, grab it and head for a table. All the barbecued pork is chopped, and that means hand chopped. The pig is moist, nicely flavored from the hard wood smoke and the vinegar basting sauce, with crunchy pieces of pork skin included. Add the fresh, crunchy slaw with just the right amount of mayo, and a slab of rather dense, crunchy cornbread made with white cornmeal from a recipe dating to the 1800's, and you are good to go. There is a fine house made BBQ sauce on the tables, it is the best I've tasted, but only a small amount is needed. For me this is as good as it gets, and I've eaten pig at almost every Eastern barbecue restaurant, I just wish you could get sliced or coarse chopped here. Now on to Bum's, just a short drive down the road into Ayden. read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - This is what you come for, chopped pork, crunch slaw, and chewy cornbread! - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

This was my first visit, based on a recommendation, and I'm so glad I stopped for lunch! I had the "medium" tray with a side of slaw, and it was a very generous portion. It's counter service, and there was a line to the front door when I arrived, but it moved quickly. Skylight Inn is about 90 minutes from home, but I wish it were closer! read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Med Meat w/ Bread & Slaw - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

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I have eaten a lot of good NC BBQ in my lifetime. I had the pleasure of visiting Skylight for dinner with my brother whom lives in Greenville on 11-8-25. Althought I like Parker's, THIS PLACE to me rates among one of the best places and reasonable price some of the best BBQ I've ever eaten. The fixings was just as good and OMG that cornbred was awesome. The pit cooked flavor of the BBQ was perfect in every way, not strong... but with the perfect flavor. My next trip to Greenville will definatly include Skylight again in Ayden. read more

I drove a few hours to come to skylight inn. I arrived around 2 pm on a Saturday, and they were all sold out of Pork BBQ. You can imagine my disappointment. The restaurant closes at 7 pm on Saturday, so who isn't doing their job? Or is there a shortage on hogs? read more

What an interesting little spot. You feel like you are stepping back in time. The food was delicious, hot, and fresh. The staff was very friendly. The part I enjoyed the most!?! Watching them chop up the fresh BBQ in front of you. All the food is right there and you know what's available... We ordered a pint of bbq, slaw, and cornbread. Look, don't come here if you are on a health kick! Don't come here looking for anything fancy! Do NOT a come here looking for a lot of variety! It's a simple menu and it's country food at its finest lol Yep! That means the cornbread is skillet cooked and greasy. The meat is lean, smoked, not saucy, and fresh. They actually chop up fried pork skins into the chopped BBQ. The slaw is simple - don't look for no carrots! If you come with that in mind - you will leave satisfied. read more

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My friends and I drove two hours to visit Skylight Inn BBQ and had a great experience. No frills place and the people were very nice. The chicken and pork were very good. I loved the vinegar sauce. The corn bread I got was very thin/hard (not pictured), but the one my friend got was nice and fluffy. Definitely worth trying. Taste: 5/5 Price: 5/5 Service: 5/5 read more

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Best bbq and slaw I have ever had! Very fast service. I will not eat bbq from anywhere else! I will eat there every time I visit Ayden.

I respect the art and skill that goes into cooking a whole hog, but if Skylight Inn is one of the best examples of Eastern North Carolina BBQ, then it's just okay for my tastes. For example, when you go to Kreuz Market or Franklin BBQ in Texas, their briskets will change your perception of bbq. However, when I tasted the bbq at Skylight, it wasn't very compelling and didn't make me want to come back for more. The chopped pork at Skylight lacked any notable smoke flavor. The most compelling parts of the bbq were the crispy bits of skin scattered among the pork. The cole slaw is sweet and not very compelling. I ordered a sandwich and four pounds of meat with slaw and bread to go. A pound of meat fits in a one pint deli container. If you order the bulk meat with slaw and bread, you get a pint of slaw and small slab of corn bread with each pound of meat. For the bulk meat, they pulled the pork from the main pile of fresh bbq that was being served - there were no issues with the bulk meat being pre-packed or old. The only caution - the containers are thin plastic and of one them was cracked. Check the containers for cracks before you leave to avoid any leaks. I also visited Sam Jones BBQ. Similar, but more upscale bbq restaurant given it's shopping center location. read more

What can you say about a legend. Service great! Food is perfect! Get some pig or yardbird and some sides and enjoy. Free parking. Cash only. Be ready to stand in line on a Saturday, worth every second. Sweet tea is delicious. Old school Eastern NC BBQ joints are disappearing each year, not The Capital. Get there get a meal and thank me later. read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Legendary - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

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The Skylight Inn BBQ was featured in a recent PBS documentary. I stopped by to see what makes them renowned. You will be in for a unique take on Carolina BBQ. The wind blew toward me as I stepped out of the car. The wood smoke from the pit out back tells me that this place is genuine. I go inside and order at the counter. Previous reviews mention cash only. That is no longer the case. I came in today and saw that they take credit cards and digital wallets. I called them beforehand to be sure. The ba-dump ba-dump ba-dump of the butcher chopping pork can be heard throughout the dining space. You can see the butcher in action when you order. He chops the pork meat and blends in pieces of pork skin to add some crunch. I've never had pulled pork with pieces of skin mixed in. It's BBQ with a unique twist. The meat is on the thicker and drier side but packs good flavor. Their cornbread is flatbread style. It's on the hard side. If you get dessert, get their banana pudding. read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Medium Pig Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

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The food here is good -- no question about that. However, on my last visit, they served me coleslaw that was gray. I couldn't help but wonder how old it was, and the disappointing part is that it was the manager who served it. Normally, coleslaw should be green and fresh like at any other place, but this was far from it. If I go back and see gray coleslaw again, I'll be adding pictures. read more

Amazing BBQ, world renowned in fact. It's a local place in Ayden just off Hwy 11 bypass. Plenty of parking. They are famous for their slow cooked chopped bbq, when it's chopped some parts of the skin(crackling) are included. You can order trays, sandwiches which come with corn slaw, and a cornbread block. You can go wrong here and will leave fully content. read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Me with cousin Susan and spouse Roger. - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

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The bbq is good not the best I've ever had. The chicarones meat skins are worth the trip.

Driving thru and saw this and very pleasantly surprised great service and very good lunch specials with great bbq

For years I've read about Skylight in Southern Living and Garden and Gun. Many times well publicized restaurants fail to meet expectations, but Skylight exceeded them! Great crunch from the pork skin and the slaw. The cornbread reminded me of hot water cornbread. Great experience all around! Can't wait to come back! read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Pig, slaw and cornbread. - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

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I've lived in NC for 8 years now and never had Eastern style BBQ. It's not exactly conveniently located to Charlotte. We knew we needed to fix this on our way to the Outer Banks. A quick Google search will tell you that this is the #1 place to go for Eastern NC BBQ. We pulled up at 4pm on a Friday and were surprised that there was a line of 5-10 people. Covid-19: no online ordering here. We waited in line inside. It moves fast. Everyone wore masks and respected socially distancing. They have picnic tables outside that no one was eating at so we enjoyed our meal there. We ordered the family meal which is supposed to feed 3-4 people. I fully trust that this is accurate, but my husband and I only eat once a day, so we pretty much finished it all by ourselves. For $25, the family meal gets you a 1.5 lb portion of whole hog chopped pork, two pint size sides, and 4 pieces of corn bread. For our sides, we got potato salad and coleslaw. The BBQ here is amazing. I absolutely love the crispy skin pieces. It added a great texture that I'm not used to with a regular pulled pork. The sauce is perfect and everything I want from a vinegar sauce. The sides are on point too. The coleslaw is light and a little sweet. Eat it with the pork--it's a great combo. We don't usually love potato salad, but we really enjoyed their mustard base. Like other have said, the cornbread is very dense and we really liked the flavor. Check in on Yelp to get a free drink too! It's really hard to beat the price. It's rare that my husband and I can eat an entire day's worth of food for $25 at a restaurant and be full. Note: they're cash only! If you're driving east to the beach or are anywhere in the area, you should definitely stop here. read more

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I saw this place on the TV show: Moonshiners Smoke Ring when I was living in Washington state and said I was going to go here when I moved back to North Carolina. I'm back. I lived in North Carolina from 2009 to 2016 and love North Carolina bbq. I drove 1 hr and 15 mins to get here. I ordered the bbq and chicken combo. So let me give you my honest opinion.... 1) The chopped pork with crisp pig skin was delicious. I can see why people come here. 2) The staff were extremely pleasant and helpful. 3) The interior was clean and simple. Just what you need for the small town feel. 4) The exterior dirt/gravel parking lot was packed with cars. It had just finished raining, making the lot muddy. 5) The building itself stood out. Had I seen this without knowing what it was, I would've just drove right on by. 6) The chicken was slimey and seemed like it was boiled and dipped in sauce. I couldn't taste any smoke. (This is why i gave the place 4 stars). Otherwise, it was good eatin. 7) The sides were just okay for me. The slaw was so fine that it was like sand. The baked beans seemed like they came from a can. The cornbread had a texture like no other. It was dense and thin. It was good. I wish they would serve collards, fried okra, and fried pickles here too. Overall, I would eat here again if I was in the area but I would not go out of my way and drive over an hour to get to it. Give it a try and see what you think. read more

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Thirty minutes in line to order? The line wasn't even that long. Maybe 4 parties ahead of us. Nothing is that good. Will not return.

If you are visiting and want to experience the best NC barbecue, look no further than this place, Skylight Inn. There is nothing that compares to the experience of the cleavers being swung in harmony from the left arm and the right arm, as it strikes the pork on the butcher block. We enjoyed a barbecue plate with a side of beans and potato salad. It was finished off with their signature cornbread. read more

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Always great bbq. Have stopped here for years. Mostly when we are out riding our Harley's. Good friendly service and awesome bbq.

I eat here about once per week! It's a local favorite for many locals. When arrive, you see the White House capital building...your at the capital of BBQ! The Jones family has deep roots to Ayden, and to the legendary BBQ craft. The menu is simple...BBQ (pork) or BBQ Chicken, or mix it up. Baked beans are my favorite--sweet with meat combined into the beans. It's a meal by itself. The slaw is slightly sweet, but not strong vinegar (like some BBQ places). It goes well with the pork and on the sandwich. You have a choice of small/medium/large tray options. Comes with BBQ (pork), side, and a slab of cornbread. The cornbread is not a "hush puppy." It is a literal slab, oven baked, dense, but hearty. Honestly, you either love it or hate it. I like mine with a splash of Texas Pete. Go inside, wait in line (if not lined up outside), order at the counter. Hopefully you'll watch the men chop the pork right in front of you. The chopping is almost musical. Grab a drink (fountain or bottle) and don't forget the banana pudding or cake. Avoid the lunch rush (1130-1). It can be very busy and not enough seating inside. Take it out to the picnic area (left of the parking lot) or eat on the tailgate! read more

If you like Eastern North Carolina BBQ mathis is my favorite. They leave the cracklin' in. Be sure to bring cash. read more

Went to skylight because we had seen it on one of the food channel series and it did not disappoint. I've had bbq in lots of places and called different things but this one was very tasty! It's called whole hog because they chop it up with skins on and skins extra crunchy so you get those bites mixed in with it. Corn bread is a thin and dense cornbread but it's really good too!! Had some banana pudding too it was a big portion so ended up bringing it home. The restaurant sits off new hwy 11 between kinston and ayden. I believe it was 15 miles outside of kinston so not far from us in jacksonville nc. I will definitely go back bring a big portion home for sandwiches!! read more

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Skylight Inn BBQ is the capital of bbq on the east coast and this place did not disappoint! I really enjoyed my detour here on a trip from South Carolina to Maryland. The flavor explosion you get from the pork by the way they cook, season, and serve it is like something I've never experienced. Skylight Inn has a rich history having been there for over 70 years and being featured in several magazines, on food network, and on the internet and YouTube. It is so very interesting how they prep and cook their whole hog and seems very labor intensive with the smokehouse and oak wood coals. They keep true to their roots by offering a small menu of either chicken or pork and only a few sides. The OG pork tray platter is what I came for-pork served in a tray with coleslaw and a piece of cornbread on top. My partner got the pork on a sandwich which is their other option. She said is was excellent bbq. The flavor profile I got from the pork was like something I've never experienced. It was flavored well-savory, smoky, and juicy. Then you get this flavor pop that's kind of like pop rocks. The best part is the crunchy crisp skin. I wish there was more of that and I wish I would of ordered another tray or two. All and all I enjoyed my stop here. Apparently there is a NC BBQ trail that you can follow that starts around this particular place-Skylight. But it's easy to tell why this place is the capital. It's all about the bbq and the process here. They take great pride in that and you can tell. read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Skylight Inn - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

Simply the best barbecue in eastern NC. They have been doing whole hog barbecue over wood for a very long time. And it shows. Worth the drive. read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Bbq house. - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

Skylight has been around for many years. It was one of my dad's favorite places to eat. The food is wonderful and always fresh. The catering is really good. They catered my dad's 90th birthday party! read more

Great place tucked in a small town in North Carolina that serves some delicious barbecue! When you pull up to this establishment, there's a large dirt parking lot on the side of the road with many cars that you cannot miss. Be sure to come to the restaurant as soon as you can because they only stay open until their barbecue runs out. Once you enter, there are a bunch of tables. You wait in line and order your food from their main counter. They serve their barbecue by the pound or you can opt for the sandwich or other types of barbecue. I ordered the medium plate that comes with one side and their cornbread. If you check in on yelp, you will get a free fountain drink! You can watch as the stuff behind the counter chop up the fresh pork. There are a bunch of sides they offer, and I highly recommend getting their potato salad! The potatoes are well cooked and the potato salad has just the right amount of mayo to relish ratio! At each table you'll find three main sauces. They offer their vinegar-based sauce, a sweet barbecue sauce, and Texas Pete hot sauce. Their vinegar-based sauce has a slight thing in heat to it and it is delicious if you splash some on your barbecue! If you like more of the traditional or sweeter style that is commonly found at restaurants, you will like their sweetheart barbecue sauce. The only thing I was not used to was their style of cornbread. It is very thick and chewy. I am used to more of a fluffy type of cornbread, similar to the consistency of a muffin. It is very dense and I was told that it is a common way to make cornbread in North Carolina. It was not what I was expecting, but I still recommend you try it if you've never had it before. Lastly, I highly recommend trying the cheer wine soda if you have not tried it before! It's not commonly found on the west coast and is tasty! read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Ordering at the counter - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

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I don't believe that I can say anything about Skylight Inn that hasn't already been said 100 times overs. The smells alone are worth a visit, and the BBQ is unlike any I've ever had (which says a lot for being NC born and raised.) The way they cook the whole hog causes the skin to blister and turn to crackling. They also chop the crackling and mix it in with the pulled pork, which gives a surprising, delicious crunch! This place is absolutely steeped in tradition and history. The line can be long at times, but it moves fast so don't be discouraged by that. Skylight Inn is worth the pilgrimage, and we'll definitely find an excuse to visit again. read more

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