We LOVE going to Stephenson's! Their food and service is the best around! So thankful we live right up the road and can visit any time we like. If you're in the area, it's a must have! read more

Stephenson's BBQ always have a friendly staff. Working 1 mile down the road, it's nice to have a great LOCAL SPOT , I always call in my order and swing through in the way to the office- always quick, sweet, and amazing fresh food! Get the bbq chicken plate, okra, boiled potatoes :) you won't regret it the chicken is always cooked perfectly ! read more

The BBQ is great, but don't sleep on their fried chicken! The hush puppies are also very good. It has a very nice vibe and the staff is very friendly. The prices are awesome too! I highly recommend this place! read more

We moved out to Benson in July of this year and I'd passed this place several times and didn't think much of it. It doesn't have "curb appeal" lol, it's not fancy by any means and it doesn't need to be because the food is delicious. I'd been waiting to leave a review til I'd gotten the collards, and when we started going here they weren't in season. So, today I had them. They weren't spectacular but they were good, and the rest of the food IS spectacular. I have never been a hush puppy fan, but I will eat theirs by the basket- they are SO GOOD!!!! I consistently get the pig & chicken combo, it's chopped bbq and a bbq breast/ wing. The chicken is literally fall off the bone, juicy, tender, flavorful. Delicious. The bbq is also great but the chicken is the winner for me. As for sides I've had the fries, green beans, collards, and they're all winners. Green beans will remain my go to. I tried the chicken & pastry today and it was a little peppery but very good. The staff are all friendly and helpful. It's a "seat yourself" establishment and they leave a pitcher of tea on the table and an ice bowl so you can refill your own drinks (and it's the good ice!!!!!). We love this place and love how convenient it is to us. They can be packed and still offer the same fast service every time. You won't regret stopping in! read more

Stephenson's Bar-B-Q - Chicken & Pastry - Barbeque Near Me - Willow Spring, North Carolina

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It is just hard to visit you favorite barbecue joints regularly when there are so many of them, and they are spread out from New Bern to Shelby, with a few strays further west. This old school, Eastern style barbecue joint was started in 1958 by Paul Stephenson, a pig farmer that figured out that the barbecue restaurants that were buying his pigs were making more money off his pigs than he was! The restaurant cooked the pork over hardwood coals until the mid 1970's, when it switched to hardwood charcoal. Stephenson's also switched from whole hog to shoulders awhile back, as well. The pork is slow cooked for up to 16 hours, then is moderately chopped, and it contains some outside brown bits, a little fat, and there is a nice smokiness to it. The result is an outstanding version of Eastern NC pork barbecue. Even though it is listed on the North Carolina Barbecue Society's Historic Barbecue Trail map, and has been feature in Our State magazine, this barbecue joint flies under the barbecue radar for a lot of folks - and that's a shame, and a loss for them. The Barbecue chicken here is also excellent, served covered in a spicy, vinegar based sauce - this is great BBQ Chicken. The Brunswick Stew is as good as any in the state, and the Boiled Potatoes are the well seasoned, perfectly cooked kind you can only find in Eastern NC BBQ joints like this. The Slaw is mayo based like most Eastern NC style slaw is, and it is a touch on the sweet side. The Hush Puppies are very nice, good outside crust, great cornmeal flavor. Even the Boiled Cabbage is great, perfectly seasoned, well cooked with a bit of crunch left - this is not a bland, mushy dish. The Fried Chicken here is every bit as good as the pork, as good as almost any in the state not cooked at Price's in Charlotte. They only cook it to order, and they remind you it will take upwards of 30 minutes (used to be 20) - but it is worth the wait - or call in your before you get to the restaurant. read more

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Great bbq along with the bbq boiled potatoes. Fair pricing too! Fast service and call ahead ordering

Best BBQ I've ever had hands down and the staff is always friendly. Would highly recommend!

Mediocre food in a poorly organized space. I love old school BBQ restaurants so I was excited to try Stephenson's. My wife and I walked in the door and instantly were in line. There wasn't a "please seat yourself" or "please wait to be seated" sign by the door but we noticed other people standing around so we did the same. After a few moments I leaned towards a couple next to us to see if we were in the right line. The husband says to me that they are waiting for a table and they think they are in the right spot. I lean towards a couple to my right and they said they were waiting to pay and they also only thought they were in the right line. The line didn't move and we weren't quite sure why but we just stood there. Eventually the couple beside us saw a table get cleaned so they went to it. Several minutes went by and another table got cleaned so we got to sit down. This took 20 minutes. A wait during lunch time is fine. Its just worth mentioning. A server came over about 5 minutes after we sat down. We ordered because we already knew what we wanted and our server came back with a small bucket of ice. This really was a high light of the restaurant. There is already a sweet tea pitcher on the table and they bring ice on the side. If I enjoyed tea I'd be excited. This is the first time I've seen this in a restaurant. Folks that drink iced tea are particular about the "tea to ice" ratio. This build your own option lets you control that. Very cool. 25 minutes after we ordered our food arrived. My wife and I both ordered BBQ sandwiches and a bowl of soup. We are now almost 50 minutes into our visit and we're just now getting our already cooked pork and our already cooked soup. Everything we ordered simply needed to be assembled. Put soup in bowl. Check. Put BBQ and slaw on Bun. Check. Ring bell. Check. 25 minutes? Sigh. And about the food? The soup had a really nice flavor. Probably one of the better Brunswick Stews I've had. The problem was that it was barely warm. The hushpuppies weren't warm at all and came out with our meal (shouldn't they come before?). How bout the BBQ? It was ok. Very middle of the road. A hint of smoke. Fork tender. But not at all special. The bun was fresh. The slaw was simple. Now it's time to pay. I go back to the front to stand in line. And stand I did. I stood for another 15 minutes to pay. The thing was, there wasn't many people in line and all they wanted to do was pay. That's it. Hand over check. Hand over credit card. Walk out the door. That's it. And it took 15 minutes. I can handle split checks for a 20 top at 8pm on a Saturday night in a matter of minutes, you should be able to handle 3 customers paying for their food in less than 15 minutes. The number one problem with this restaurant is organization. There was never a manager to be found. The mediocre food would have been made better by better service. The servers didn't seem to know what was going on. The cashiers didn't seem to know what was going on. There was no host. No floor manager. No one in charge. Just a bunch of angry customers and I was one of them. I truly hope this place turns itself around. I can't imagine they've been open as long as they have with this level of incompetence. Get a manager. Keep them up front. Your guests will thank you. I drove a good bit out of my way to try this place. I wouldn't do it again. read more

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So lucky to have discovered this place as we were moving into Willow Spring! The staff is super friendly and efficient, and the food is terrific. Honestly, I haven't had a single thing I wouldn't recommend or happily eat again. The pulled pork and barbecue chicken is outstanding. The hush puppies are delicious, as are all of the sides that we have ordered over multiple visits. The only caution I would offer is to be careful of the takeout barbecue chicken, the juice has a tendency to leak. This is one of our favorite go tos, and in fact has kept us from checking out the other highly recommended barbecue spots in the area. We will probably give them a try eventually, but it's hard to pass up Stephensons! read more

Great place, you can tell there is tons of history in those walls. Friendly service. The food was good and at a great price. read more

Stephenson's Bar-B-Q - Hushpuppies - Barbeque Near Me - Willow Spring, North Carolina

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I give this place two stars. The bbq is middling at best. The bbq chicken is typically over cooked but decent. When you can get it. They run out frequently. Their service model is what really kills this place. If you go during a busy period you will be sorry. Out of this and that, service spotty to poor, if you go late in the day fried foods are not good. Chicken livers come out with black burnt crispy from previous fries. They lose ticket order in kitchen, you will see three tables come in after you and order and get food, and you will still be waiting for yours. This is an old folk's restaurant- I am one -Go early for lunch you will have a totally different experience than a Friday or Saturday night. I have lived here for years and been here often. Going here late or when slammed is a way to not enjoy it. read more

Looking for a mom and pop BBQ joint? Look no further. Stephensons is one of the best in town. Small town feel with a Big Bang. I live the big pig plate. Their hush puppies are my favorite of all time. My husband loves the banana pudding. read more

Great place for eastern BBQ. Reminds you of going to that small town BBQ diner in your hometown when you were a kid! The BBQ is amazing but all of their food is great! read more

This was a great place to eat. The last several times have been a terrible experience. The cooks need to stop using salt in the barbeque sauce and the breading. The food has been cold, and FF have always been under cooked as in raw. I agree with Dale read more

Stephenson's is a legacy of the community. The atmosphere and food haven't changed in 40 years and that's what makes it so special. They have the best bbq in NC. read more

Definitely fried chicken in pieces not whole if you like crust. Need to order 30 minutes in advance.

A very old styled barbecue restaurant checker tablecloth old wooden chairs pretty basic food was pretty good I'll go back again I'm just not a big fan of North Carolina style barbecue I haven't found one yet in my travels it just excites me I'm hoping to down the road the sides are great the staff was very cordial I'd give it a try read more

Perhaps the best country style BBQ in NC. Great country style cafe, friendly people, wonderful food. My favorite place for NC BBQ.

This place is never disappointing. The people here are always so friendly and super fast to wait on you. Every time we go we always find a place to sit pretty quick and get our food fast. It has definitely become a favorite of ours! read more

Best barbecue pork in Johnston county! I would never go anywhere else when they're open on there!!

Great bbq great service! Old school country joint!! Go early they sometimes run out of things but that can be expected when the food is so good! read more

I had the day off work and took a special trip to Stephensons, about an hour drive from Durham. Got here at 1:00p on a Tuesday and it was bustling. Could see a little smoke as I walked up and smelled a little inside. Oh boy! There was a line to pay but someone told me to just take a seat. The place is large with simple pine tables, some large, some small. Can sit communally if you like at the big tables. Place has a simple menu-- either pulled whole hog eastern style pork, fried chicken or both, with sides. Got a large pig plate, with slaw and cabbage. No collards this time of year, as they are seasonal only. Puppies come with everything. Pork was generous and excellent. Gentle smoky flavor, moist and delicious. The sides were a little disappointing: the slaw had sweet relish in it (ewww) and the puppies were a little unflavorful. Not sure if they needed more sugar or more salt. Staff was friendly. Place felt super down home, but not unfriendly to outsiders. This place is NC BBQ at its core. Definitely worth the trip. read more

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Dry bland chicken and pork. Too far from I95 for so much disappointment. No ribs, no bbq sauces, no burnt ends, no beef. Request bbq sauce but get vinegar and hot sauce as only options - those were most flavorful things during meal. Could use fresh coat of paint and decorations instead of dust/dirt, water stains on walls, ceilings and air vents. We believed all the great reviews but experienced nothing close. read more

Stephenson's is what a NC bar-b-q ought to be. Their pig is outstanding and they understand chicken, too. The sides are simple, tasty, and don't detract from why you're there. The service makes you feel like you're in your hometown. And their sweet tea is not for the faint of heart! My only complaint about this place is that it's not closer to our home in Fuquay-Varina. read more

Yelper Paige L. put me in her car and we made the trek to Stephenson's- exactly what you expect walking in, wooden tables and chairs, many bottles of Texas Pete hot sauce, sweet tea pitchers on the tables. We were promptly greeted with a bowl of crushed ice and menus. Do we really need menus in a bbq restaurant? It's like they should just have one menu for all bbq lodges. And, yes I ordered what I always order too. BBQ sandwich with slaw and a sweet tea. Somehow a little cup of Brunswick stew was ordered too. She brought out some hot hushpuppies, so glad because I forgot to order some. (gasp) Everything was delicious and authentic. Hushpuppies and french fries were hot. My french fry barometer registered a, "howdy partner, I'm going to eat you" and the sandwich was coarse chopped with a hint of woodhouse smokiness, but not overpowering and of course, a little of the vinegar, crushed red pepper sauce, sent straight from the good Lord. read more

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NC BBQ and hospitality heaven! I took my brother who was visiting NC for the first time for a lunch, immediately after getting him from the airport. It was totally worth the drive! I won't repeat the details of the great hospitality and decor of the restaurant covered by other reviewers here. All I want to write about is their BBQ. My brother got the all-you-can-eat "family style" plate. They served him up with an unlimited supply of pulled pork BBQ, chicken (both dark and white) BBQ, and boiled potatoes. I got the ribs BBQ (available on Fri-Sun only!) with green beans and collard greens, brunswick stew, and a banana pudding. It was love at the first bite for EVERY THING they serve here! The sweet tea was served in a pitcher, with unlimited refills! The hushpuppies were warm, slightly chewy, sweet and salty, and not greasy at all. Lovely! Pulled pork BBQ was tender, juicy, and flavorful with a nice blend of seasoning, a hint of vinegar and smoke. Chicken BBQ was tender and nicely seasoned! The meat fell off from the bone easily. Evidence of hours of BBQ-ing. Brunswick stew was warm, loaded with chunks of well-cooked ingredients. Very homey. Reminded me of Thanksgiving dinner. Banana pudding was one of the best desserts I have ever had. You can tell they use real and fresh cream there - it is incredibly smooth (like a mousse), eggy, and banana-y! The sweetness was just perfect (think the sweetness you get from a strawberry shortcake). The nice waitress checked in with us a few times. Upon seeing us enjoying our meal so much, she brought in two pieces of fried chicken for us to try!!! OMG, they were phenomenally CRISPY and NOT greasy at all! My brother and I wondered how on earth they made it so crispy without leaving a single drop of oil on the crust or meat!! The portion size was huge. I finished all the greens and only half the ribs. Took the remaining 4 strips of ribs home. Brother downed two plates of BBQ and was stuffed. And the bill for today was only $24!!!!! Bless this BBQ joint. It has got to be one of the best BBQ joints on earth. (P.S.: they do sell their BBQ meat, sides, and hushpuppies to-go by the pound or by the dozen!!) read more

Stephenson's Bar-B-Q - Ribs with green beans and collard green; banana pudding; hushpuppies; brunswick stew; all-you-can-eat plate. - Barbeque Near Me - Willow Spring, North Carolina

Just ok for me. No noticeable trace of smoke in chicken and pork. Collards were a little bland. Hush puppies were the best part. Car side service was great. read more

Stephenson's was delicious! Everyone dining there seemed to be a local. When we were seated, our table was given a bucket of crushed ice, I presume for the sweet tea on the table. We got Diet Pepsis, which came in cans with a FULL glass of crushed ice... it was kinda like a Diet Pepsi snow cone. We all ordered the small BBQ pork. The plate comes with hush puppies and a choice of two sides. I got coleslaw and french fries. The slaw was really good, very close to perfect. It's like most BBQ slaw I've had - very finely chopped. The fries were above average. The hush puppies were good, but they were a little more doughy... I prefer them to be more corny. The BBQ was nice and tender... it was a little on the dry side. The sauce on the table was very vinegar, and went REALLY well with the meat. read more

Stephenson's Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Willow Spring, North Carolina

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We had a very disappointing experience tonight at Stephenson's BBQ restaurant. I ordered 2 fried chicken dinners at 5:10pm. The woman taking the order informed me that it would be 10-15 minutes. We show up at 5:30pm and our food wasn't ready. My boyfriend waited until 6:08pm for our food. During this long wait, he didn't receive an apology or discount on our order. The woman at the cash register was very rude and when our food was FINALLY ready, she waited on other customers before us!! We will NEVER be back to this restaurant. The chicken was dry and greasy. I had to give at least 1 star in this review but Stephenson's BBQ deserves ZERO stars. read more

As a part of the NC BBQ trail, I would have expected that Stephenson's BBQ to be a smash! I was right! Almost everything about the restaurant was great! The atmosphere was old school, the waiters were nice, and the food was excellent! What I didn't like so much was the location. It is literally out in the middle of nowhere. I have not even heard of a town named Willow Springs! When I first walked in I was very surprised that there weren't as many people in the restaurant. If this place was on the BBQ trail I would have expected a lot more people. My party decided to try a little bit of everything ribs, chicken, and BBQ. The food came out so fast! I was very surprised about that because I wondered if the quality would have been as good. I was wrong. The BBQ was BBQ trail quality. It was tender, and seasoned well. It was some delicious BBQ. The ribs were some of the best ribs I've had in my life! I bit into the meat and it came straight off the bone. There was also this sauce on it that gave it an incredible flavor. The chicken wasn't my favorite. It was just chicken and there was nothing special about it. There are so many delicious sides to go with the meals. The sides include things like corn, green beans, and collards. All sides are very tasty and fresh. The hush puppies are delicious too. I would say that Stephenson's is a good place to eat on your way to Wilmington and is also worth a road trip from the Triangle area. Hooray I finally made it to 50 reviews!!! read more

Excellent NC BBQ and chicken! I am a repeat offender!!!! Locals favorite says it all

I'm gonna give it a 4.0 but I'd like to give it a 3.5. Wow, this place is in major need of an interior upgrade. I thought the BBQ pork was great, the chicken was okay. Not sure why I liked their boiled potatoes so much, but I did, as well as the hushpuppies. And gotta love shaved ice in a bowl on the table with a large pitcher of sweet tea. The slaw was not so good. The servers were friendly. But be prepared for a drive, and I don't know if I'd say the drive was worth it, given options closer that are as good or better. If I lived right down the road from the place though, they'd get a lot of my business, just take out though (which seemed to be what most people did when I was in there on a weekday at 5pm). YMMV read more

Stephenson's Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Willow Spring, North Carolina

Chicken was tender and good, hush puppies were awesome, and spiced apples were delicious!!!!!

I have been wanting to try this place for years and I was not disappointed. We ordered family style which included bbq, fried chicken, slaw, bbq potatoes, brunswick stew and hush puppies. The bbq was eastern style with a hint of western NC smoke. The fried chicken was awesome. Two members of our party ordered ribs. They were good but remember these are NC style ribs. They are not sugar crusted sweetness. They are cooked in the sauce with almost a par boil consistency when they are served. The corn and green bean sides were good. This place is on the NC BBQ Trail and a worthy contender. read more

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As always Stephenson's never seems to disappoint. But OAN I think they did skimp on their portions. I seem to always order the same thing. A whole BBQ chicken, sides and hush puppies( which are amazing). I did notice the chicken this time was a whole chicken as it normally is, but instead it was about 2-3 leg quarters. Overall the taste is still delicious and the service is great. Stephenson's is a down home country spot with friendly staff and a warm environment. I normally do a call in order that way I don't have to wait, because on weekends they do get busy. Although I do a call in I normally don't have to wait no more than 5 minutes after getting there to pick up my food. This is a great place if you have the taste for some good southern cooking and do not feel like cooking! I can attest to that! Lol read more

Food was acceptable. BBQ pork was bland . No sauce and their BBQ sauce was just vinegar and red pepper. Yuck! BBQ ribs tasty. Please cut cabbage into smaller pieces. No core please. French frys limp. Could have stood staying in the fryer a couple of minutes. Service VERY slow. Cute young teenage wait staff did not follow up on requests (napkin and BBQ sauce) until 1 of us went to the counter to request again. Overall disappointing visit. Won't be returning. read more

Stop number 6 on the NCBS Historic Barbecue Trail. So far, every place I've tried on the trail has been great! http://www.ncbbqsociety.com/bbqmap/trail_map.html It's an old school Eastern style barbecue joint as others have said. Basically, it's a classic. When we were seated, we got a bowl of shaved ice and a pitcher of sweet tea. Great start. I got the pork platter with green beans, cabbage, and Brunswick Stew. The pork was good on the platter, but not great. On our way out, I got a pork sandwich to go and it was fantastic. The pork, slaw, and bun worked together perfectly and enhanced the flavor. For me, it was better than the pork by itself on the platter. I highly recommend getting a sandwich if it's your first time. Whenever I'm in NC, I try to hit a spot on the Trail. They haven't missed yet. read more

Stephenson's Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Willow Spring, North Carolina

Worst BBQ experience ever. Waited for 45 minutes to be seated. There were several six person tables with only two people. Waitresses did nothing to seat us. We finally asked two people if they would relocate to a two person table to allow our party of six to be seated. They did. Waitress was upset with us so it took over an hour for food to be served - it was cold . BBQ was mediocre. Never will return. Red Neck BBQ Lab nearby is our choice now . Better food and friendly service . read more

Just drove from Athens Ga to Garner, NC better known as home. Family made a bee line to Stevenson's BBQ. The best fried Chicken, hushpuppies, BBQ and sweet tea on crushed ice. Pure southern heaven. read more

Stephenson's Bar-B-Q - Hushpuppies yum yum - Barbeque Near Me - Willow Spring, North Carolina

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Service is always good. Food is always good too! The building is old and could use updating.