In 2019, and again in 2023, Southern Living ranked Skylight fourth in its survey of the top 50 BBQ restaurants in the South. All the way back in 2015, in his The 100 Best Barbecue Restaurants in America, Johnny Fugitt ranked the chopped pork second only to Payne's in Memphis, the cornbread the 7th best side, and the vinegar and tomato based sauce the best in the land. Skylight is one of the most heralded 'cue joints in America, and its reputation is well deserved. We agree with Johnny's evaluation of the chopped pork (it's melt in your mouth good), and the sauce is far and away the best of its kind that we have ever sampled. Indeed, it is so good that something extraordinary happens when you add it to the otherwise fairly ordinary baked beans, which we chose as a side. The cole slaw was also unremarkable, but the cornbread, which is made from white corn meal, is exceptional. Our recommendation is that you skip the sides in order to leave as much room as possible for the pork and cornbread. read more

Bbq, coleslaw and cornbread were some of the best I've had in Eastern NC. Staff was efficient and very nice. Ambiance was old school bbq restaurant. I loved it! My wife said said they bake an awesome chocolate cake, too. read more

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Its always fun to try new bbq spots when traveling, especially ones with a history like the Skylight. We definitely enjoyed watching the interview on their website before we stopped in-highly recommend watching this. We ordered 2 medium pork meals, which came with corn "bread" and coleslaw - and were definitely grateful they still had some pork left when we stopped by an hour before closing on a Thursday evening The star is definitely the pork, it had nice flavor, was moist and full of pieces of cracklings which added a fun crisp we've never had in our Q before. Also enjoyed both the North Carolina vinegar sauce and more traditional thicker sauce. The coleslaw is the sweet style, and chopped as fine as I've ever seen, and the sweetness nicely complemented the pork. The corn "bread" isn't like any I've had before. It had good flavor, but not sure I'm fond of the extra firm style. read more

The best bbq in the state of North Carolina. The skin mixed in with the chopped pork makes the flavor extremely good. Add a side of sweet slaw or baked beans and enjoy. read more

Classic NE Carolina BBQ great to experience and see them choppin it up behind the counter, plus pick up some local plants while your there from the farmers read more

Great food in a casual setting. We had pork , chicken and beans. Very, very good. Also had a chance to tour the pit. Highly recommend! Great service! read more

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Unpretentious building houses the best Eastern style BBQ I have ever had. The mix of chopped white and dark meat, with bits of cracklins is perfection. Very friendly staff allowed me to see the pit and witness how the magic is made. Not to be missed. read more

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There is no place like this place. Best Eastern BBQ pork. No fills just old time pork BBQ cooked over hardwood. The favor really can be tasted in the bbq. read more

Pretty good! My husband said it is some of the best he had! I was not the biggest fan of the corn bread but the banana pudding was delish! I don't eat potato salad so i was limited on the sides but baked beans was good. read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - a man preparing food - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

nc bbq is so bad. the place has a nice vibe and it's clean but the food is absolutely disgusting. no shade to this place but if you don't like nc bbq don't come here read more

Rode down to try the food on a friend recommendation. The food is really good and the price is pretty reasonable. It was definitely worth the ride down from VA. read more

The food is great and the experience is interesting. The smoke smell. Watching them chop the barbecue behind the counter. Old photos on the walls and you never know who you may see. People from all over stop in to see this iconic restaurant. read more

I was disappointed! I'm a BBQ connoisseur, Carolina born. After all the hype, I would only give the BBQ a 3 due to it being too dry. Additionally the smoke was lacking. The cornbread was barely edible because of it's density. I wouldn't drive out of my way to eat here. They use Oak instead of Hickory and that's the difference. read more

We took a day trip to New Bern and decided to take the extra miles to this much lauded BBQ spot. A really nice drive through rural areas of the state made for an excellent trip and we were excited for our meal. We were delighted to see quite a lot of outdoor dining available when we pulled up, as well as how careful the staff were in mask wearing during COVID. The choices are limited when you come but we knew that beforehand and were eager to try their signature chopped bbq pork. We opted for that, the cornbread, beans and cole slaw. The staff were super nice and friendly. Prices were very cheap for a family of 4 (enough food for 6 people for $25). So, my couple of quibbles: the sauces were not to par. The sweeter thick sauce had a really off chemical taste to it. We did not like it at all. The vinegar sauce was fine but the bottles of it were nearly empty so we didn't get to have much. There were no cups out for taking the sauce outside and lines were long enough we didn't want to ask. The cornbread was terrible. I gather it's a style they've chosen but it is more akin to army hardtack than any cornbread I've ever had. Hard, dense, rubbery. Not for us. The meat was fine but no smoky flavor, no juicy awesomeness. I liked the bits of cracklin mixed in but other than that, I didn't really find it distinguished itself. A bit of a letdown against higher expectations. The cole slaw was super liquidy and over chopped. The flies outside LOVED it...they were amazingly human indifferent flies, by the way...made it nearly impossible to have anything to eat before we headed off as 7 or 8 at a time would land on your plate, totally without a care as they were swatted. Clearly not their fault but might be nice to have some sort of a screened area or fans . The beans were the winner of the day - perfection. Best we've had here in NC. Honestly, we preferred Caino's closer to our area, but if you are here and wanting the more famous counterpart, it was fine just not epic. And skip the icky cornbread and the watery cole slaw. Just get the pork and beans and perhaps a Pepsi in nod to the birthplace being less than an hour away. read more

Best Bbq I've ever had. Amazing food and the coleslaw is great, I don't even like coleslaw but I eat theirs. People are friendly and fill your bowl/plates, I live about 12 hours away now and if in that part of the state, we will stop. read more

6 of us drove 40 minutes to Ayden to get some famous bbq. Arriving Thurs at 4:45pm we are told no more bbq! Only chicken was available. We Should have left then but since we drove all that way, we ordered chicken. Everyone's chicken was cold and tough. My guess is they took all the front bbq for a backend catering order. Trash cans were overflowing, it was a terrible experience. This joint is a "has been" icon of past. Never will I set foot in it again. read more

Being born and raised in Eastern NC, BBQ pork is maybe something I've just taken for granted. I've never really been into the territorial BBQ game, or fussing over who does it best. I am sure, however, that I've never had it quite like this. The smoke flavor is evident from bite one and it really does set it apart. The slaw was also really good, but the baked cornbread is just not for me (too dry; it should just always be fried, my opinion). There are 2 different sauces to choose from if that's your thing; it was a big bummer to see they are bottled in a factory and not made in house as evident by all the preservatives and Red 40 food dye added (yuck). It was plenty to eat and a super casual, easy going atmosphere. Now I can say I've been. read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Medium BBQ, corn bread, slaw - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

Made to this legendary BBQ joint for the first time over the weekend. Even at 2:30 p.m. on a Saturday, there was a line, but it moves fast. Great chopped pork BBQ (is there any other kind?). read more

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

If you are a true BBQ fan, Skylight should be added to your bucket list. The storefront and dining area are very humble but they definitely should be proud of their BBBQ offerings. The pulled pork was delicious and super tender with wonderful bites of crispy skin mixed through out. Two sauces were available, both very tasty but I favored the vinegar based. It added some heat but not too much. The slaw was one like I've never had before. Very green, very fresh. Was the perfect pairing to the pulled pork. The plate came with a piece of corn bread which, I was not a big fan of, but that fact did not take away from what a tasty culinary event our visit was. Super friendly and welcoming staff! Thanks for a great lunch!! read more

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

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BEST BANANA PUDDING EVER!!!! So happy to try this legendary place. Been looking forward to it for years. Place was line out the door at 3pm on a Saturday but we made it thru fairly quickly. Friendly helpful staff. Used the Yelp deal to check in to receive a free drink. Tried pulled pork BBQ & BBQ chicken combo. Pork was awesome - literally fresh with some skin & few bones. So good, probably my favorite anywhere. I also normally really like BBQ chicken but was not a fan. Nothing wrong with it just not to my taste so no penalty on their part. I like Smithfield's BBQ Chicken & sauce better. The cornbread is either a love or hate. I like it. And yes banana pudding was amazing- thick, warm. Had already tried Sam Jones in Raleigh which has more menu choices. Love both locations. read more

Bought 3 lbs and two trays of bbq yesterday 8_3 2024 drove 180 miles round trip.bbq was old had been in refrigerator. Skins were like rubber been eating there since the 60s worst experience I ever had.spent $70and had to throw it all in the garbage read more

I am giving them 5 stars based on the meats alone. Bbq and the chicken had a great smoke flavor. Both were very good. Loved the sauce on the chicken. Bbq didn't need any sauce. The sides are an after thought and it shows. Coleslaw was bland , potato salad tasted like it needed some salt in the water when the potatoes were boiled. I added some salt and it was a little better, and no I am not salt crazy, I am actually salt sensitive and can't eat a lot of salt. The corn bread very bland, dense and rather thin. Could have used some salt and a pinch of sugar, butter would have been nice. A little pricey for the amount of food you get. Or should I say the amount of food you want to eat. If I ever go back I will stick with the chicken and pork, forget the sides. read more

"Choppin' since 1947" is the slogan here! Oh that slow cooked pork with the crispy skin cracklings is a little bit of heaven. I'm not a fan of the cornbread but does it matter with slow cooked on wood pig goodness. So excited that Sam Jones is continuing the eastern BBQ family legacy by opening a restaurant in Raleigh. You can also add either a sweet or vinegar based sauce to your BBQ if you fancy. read more

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

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I was lucky enough to have lunch here while traveling on vacation with my family. What a great experience. Everyone was friendly and helpful and their whole hog BBQ was the best I've ever had. The slaw and cornbread were also very good. My wife had the beans and my daughter had the potato salad and they both said they liked them. You could taste the pride that is in the BBQ here as well as the sides. I was so impressed that I bought a t-shirt and hat that I will wear with pride when I smoke a pork shoulder back home. read more

What a uniquely North Carolina experience. It looks just as a 75 year old, family owned restaurant should, well-worn but clean. The US Capital facade is an added touch that you won't find anywhere else. The menu is simple and walk up ordering is easy and efficient. I ordered a large tray with coleslaw and a sweet iced tea. It came out promptly stacked with a piece of their signature oven-fried cornbread sandwiched between. Two styles of Vinegar Based BBQ Sauce were provided on the table along with a bottle of Texas Pete. Good NC BBQ is hard to describe, but you know it when you have it. This is maybe the best I've ever had (and I've had lots, from mountains to coast). Moist, flavorful, perfectly spiced, with some crunchy bits of pork rind mixed in. The cornbread was unique by being all at the same time crispy, chewy, and dense. The slaw was serviceable with a dash of salt, but it was only there as a supporting act to the stars of the show anyway. I was staying In Greenville for a conference, but this would definitely be worth the two hour road trip when I need a fix. So glad I tried this place and can't wait to get back. read more

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In an era of "on-line hype" and trends coming and going faster than the beat of a hummingbird's wings, it means something when a Mom & Pop establishment have 70 years behind them. Clearly, they're doing SOMETHING right, and let me tell ya... That "something" here, is Barbecue. Mouth watering, gland-firing, savory deliciousness that makes you want to say "Sweet Baby Jesus, now THAT is what I'm talkin' about!!! I came for the Pork but quickly learned that everything here pairs well with another, and is executed with passion. If you're wondering if it's worth a visit, stop. Get in the car and get moving before their daily rations are gone!! read more

Skylight Inn BBQ - Pulled pork on chopping block meets fried skin and is fused, for your enjoyment! - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

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Eastern whole hog style Carolina barbecue is amazing and this restaurant is a perfect example. We got there ahead of the lunch crowd on this Saturday morning and ordered two family platters for seven. I slathered the signature Eastern style vinegar-based barbecue sauce on each helping of chopped pork and it was delicious! The family platters also came with sides of baked beans, slaw, and potato salad, all of which were good as well. We ordered a gallon of (sweet) tea to drink, and finished off with banana pudding. Overall it was delicious and we will definitely be back! read more

Dericious sandwich and pleasant service. Sandwich was awesome and very flavorful. Good choice of bun too. read more

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

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'Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful' Kelly LeBrock screamed in the 80's, and don't hate me because I live in Ayden less than a mile from Skylight I scream in the 2020's. Enough said. I drive there just to buy the $7 Q sauce when I'm jonesing if I'm not having the actual Q that night. if you can't get here during business hours, go to Sam Jones in Winterville. #relatives and just as good. The only Q worth eating in the Greenville area. read more

Recommended to us by a connoisseur of NC BBQ, we had to try this out on our visit to Kinston. We opted for the "feed the family" meal with two sides, cornbread, and pig. The cracklin chopped up in the vinegary meat was the ultimate surprise. Truly excellent BBQ. We loved the beans and potato salad, too. It felt less like we were eating at a restaurant and more like a family BBQ. The photos on the walls of the family business through seven decades made it feel all the more like home. read more

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This has been on my bucket list for a very long time, and it did Not disappoint! It's exactly as I expected. A very simple down home place in the middle of a farming community! We arrived about 30 minutes prior to closing on a Saturday night. The young men up front very polite and friendly. I had the Chopped Pork sandwich, or I should say I inhaled it! Love the vinegar sauce on the table! My hubby had the plate and Loves the slaw and beans. They were out of Banana pudding, but we got two pieces of Strawberry cake to go, and it was Delicious! This is not some pretentious BBQ place in a city where you get Pork Shoulder, this is the Real Deal, Whole Hog! Love the cracklin's!!! Thank you for being exceeding my expectations! read more

Visited Skylight Inn BBQ for the first time on October 10, 2019 Loved the bbq, slaw and cornbread. Everyone was so nice. We even got a tour of where the bbq is cooked. Will definitely be going back. read more

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This is a local BBQ place that has seen its day. The dining room and bathrooms are run down and very dirty. Food and grease are splattered on the walls and it needs a serious make over. Our chopped BBQ was cold and the corn bread was barely cooked dough. We stopped because this place has had some excellent write ups, but all in the past. This place needs to be closed. read more

Not everyone from California is a liberal stooge. I am a country boy and I love Bbq. Recently my wife and I flew to NC to see our son who is one of our fighting warriors, a United States Marine. I was a Marine stationed at Lejeune 100 years ago. What I found is that the state of NC is beautiful, it looks like Heaven to a guy like me. Best part about NC, the people. Some of the nicest, real people I have ever met and I mean that. While there, I got the hankering for some proper bbq. Well, why not go to the best bbq on this planet. I looked it up, everyone seems to put Skylight Inn #1. I can't get proper bbq in cali. We went in and basically ordered everything that they serve. We wanted leftovers. Well the young man at the counter was a throwback to the days before kids lost their minds with all this woke crap. I wish I would've got that kids name. Let's get to the business, the bbq. It was unbelievable. Smokey but not too much. They crush the pork skin into the meat for a little piece of Heaven. I can't wait to go back to Skylight. Thanks for a great experience. Don't forget to get the beans omg they are delicious. DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING. Leave it be, it is perfect bbq. read more

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The place for BBQ purists. Pit cooked over hardwood. The meat and flavor are served up to stand on their own merit absent sauce. Very good bbq and sauce is available at the table if you must. We tried the Bar-b-que. chicken and it is served drenched in sauce. The Bbq chicken was not our favorite. We loved the cole slaw and it may be some of the best I have eaten. The squares of baked cornbread were addictive. I could have made a meal out of the cornbread. Our first time and we would visit again when in the area. Remember.....CASH only!! read more

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BBQ is ridiculously good. Classic eastern NC pulled pork with fat back mixed in. Slaw is on the sweeter side...good but not my favorite style. Corn bread is the dense, compact type...quite good but save room for more Q. read more

"MMT" Day 3: Michelle decided to skip lunch today to save herself for dinner tonight (That will be another post) I, on the other hand, was on a mission to complete my BBQ circle here. Today's destination was the famous historic Skylight Inn BBQ in Ayden, NC right outside of Greenville. It was a short trip that would take me back to the roadside stands of yesteryear with the down-home feeling of family, friends and fabulous simple food. The menu was straightforward; you have a choice of chopped "pig" or yardbird. Both were offered in various portion sizes and with optional sides which consisted of baked beans, coleslaw or potato salad. Cornbread was included. My selection was 1/2 a yardbird with the addition of chopped "pig" with baked beans and (recommended) potato salad. (Don't judge, I was making sure that there were leftovers for Michelle) The chicken was flavorful and tender. The Sam Jones BBQ sweet sauce really complimented the light smoke flavor of the bird. The chopped "pig" was a version of what I enjoyed yesterday but this dish seemed to have more crunch from the crispy skin that is chopped in with the pulled meat. This version was also different in the sense that it didn't have any or as much of the vinegar sauce mixed in during the chopping process. Both proteins were on point and yummy! The sides were, well, well made old school Southern sides. The complimented the meal perfectly. The cornbread was a work of art. Crunchy on the outside, both top and bottom, and tender on the inside. (I'd love to make a sandwich with this bread) All of this was complimented with welcoming friendly service and some great conversation. Thanks Steve for sharing some time with me. The experience was capped off with me getting an impromptu tour of the 1940s smoke house. All in all a wonderful experience and a proper way to finish my BBQ run in eastern NC. Well done Tarheals...well done! 5 out of 5 and totally worth the trip! read more

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This is what a BBQ place should be in my opinion. No frills, relatively inexpensive, and yummy. Things you should know: 1. They chop their pork and add cracklins to it, some like it some don't. I thought it added nice crunch and some very good flavors. 2. Their corn "bread" is more like corn.... uh dense corn cake. The texture is dense and different than I'd ever encountered by the flavor is a great counterpoint to the pork. 2. The coleslaw is the most cabbage flavored coleslaw I've ever encountered and it was AMAZING! Easily the best creamy colesaw ever. Not too creamy, very green tasting. 3. The potato salad was nice, not too mustardy not too anything, just solid potato salad. 4. I think stick with the NC style sauce. Though have lousiana style hot sauce and a more texas style sauce. 5. They have cheerwine in their soda machine. There is a smallish dining room and a covered picnic table area outside which is pretty nice. read more

I have no other reason to go to Ayden besides that Skylight Inn BBQ is on the NC BBQ Trail. Thankfully, my special trip out to Ayden just to visit Skylight Inn was not a disappointment. I tried their whole hog BBQ tray, which came with cole slaw and what they called bread (I'll explain later). The pork was juicy, smoky, and overall delicious. The vinegar sauce that they had on the tables was incredible. I liked that they had the right amount of vinegar and peppery-ness, with a hint of heat and sweetness. The sauce was the star of the meal, in my opinion. This is probably the only place I've been to that mixes in the pork rinds with the pulled pork. It gives the meat a different flavor and slightly different texture. Even though it wasn't something I was used to, I was actually pleasantly surprised by it. Take that for what it's worth - if you don't like pork rinds, you may not like it, but I enjoyed it. The cole slaw was solid - nothing spectacular, but they did it well. The bread was cornmeal-based, and felt more like a dense cake. The taste had hints of hushpuppies in it, since it was cornmeal-based, but the texture was dense, with a slightly crusty exterior, and firm but chewy in the middle. I hadn't had anything quite like it before, and it was a little strange, but it wasn't terrible enough for me to not eat it. It balanced out the meat and slaw relatively well. I also tried their sweet tea (free drink with Yelp check-in!), which they do well. It's a fast-casual restaurant where you order at the register, and find your own table. The pricing is reasonable, and the restaurant seemed pretty well-kept for an older BBQ restaurant. It is cash only, though. Overall, it was a great BBQ experience, and I'm glad I drove a bit out of the way to stop in Ayden and check out Skylight Inn. read more

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Best sandwich in Pitt Co in my opinion. Service is always fast and food is always fresh