Sam Jones BBQ

Barbecue restaurant · Pitt County

Sam Jones BBQ

Barbecue restaurant · Pitt County

3

715 W Fire Tower Rd, Winterville, NC 28590

Photos

Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null
Sam Jones BBQ by null

Highlights

Wood-fired whole hog BBQ, tender pork, collards, craft beers  

Featured in Eater
Featured in Afar

715 W Fire Tower Rd, Winterville, NC 28590 Get directions

samjonesbbq.com
@samjonesbbq

$10–20 · Menu

Information

Static Map

715 W Fire Tower Rd, Winterville, NC 28590 Get directions

+1 252 689 6449
samjonesbbq.com
@samjonesbbq

$10–20 · Menu

Features

wifi
payment credit card
Tap to pay
reservations

Last updated

Oct 8, 2025

Powered By

You might also like

Terms of Use • Privacy Policy • Cookie Policy
 © 2025 Postcard Technologies, Inc.
@eater

How Carolina Barbecue Legend Sam Jones Cooks a Whole Hog - Eater

"Sam Jones has become a Carolina barbecue legend by carrying on his family’s tradition of cooking whole hogs. 'The way I look at it, I’m the fourth generation of my family that’s been doing this right here,' says Jones, owner of Sam Jones BBQ." - Avery Dalal

https://www.eater.com/23940690/how-carolina-barbecue-legend-sam-jones-cooks-a-whole-hog
View Postcard for Sam Jones BBQ
@afar

Our Favorite Dishes From a Year of Travel - AFAR

"A Greenville wood-fired whole-hog barbecue spot carrying on a pitmaster legacy; the whole-hog is tender and quintessentially Southern, and the sides—especially the collard greens—hold up brilliantly. Even eaten as takeout in less-than-ideal circumstances, the barbecue’s quality is unmistakable." - AFAR Editors

https://www.afar.com/magazine/our-favorite-dishes-from-a-year-of-travel
View Postcard for Sam Jones BBQ
@nomadicmatt

How to Spend 24 Hours in Raleigh, North Carolina (Updated 2025)

"Another famous North Carolina option I mention is Sam Jones BBQ in downtown, which smokes whole hogs onsite daily and is known for chopped barbecue, fried chicken, ribs, baked flat cornbread, and a standout smoked turkey sandwich." - Matthew Kepnes

https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/24-hours-in-raleigh/
View Postcard for Sam Jones BBQ

Chris Honeycutt

Google
Finally got to visit Skylight Inn! It was everything I had hoped for. The chopped pork was awesome and unique with the bits of pork skin chopped in with it. Cornbread also was unique. I liked it but it’s definitely not what most folks expect. Baked beans were great too with the ground beef mixed in. Only thing I didn’t care for was the coleslaw which was VERY sweet. All in all, it was a great experience and worth the drive to try just for the pork alone!

Lena Hankins

Google
What to try something different, new to the area. I would not recommend the cornbread,, the greens had a little too much vinegar for me and the Mac was ok. Ribs, turkey and chicken did not disappoint.

Karl Daniti

Google
Corn bread no flavor. Beans ok. Mac and cheese no flavor. BBQ not much flavor until you put vinegar on. I've had better BBQ from other restaurants for a better price.

Monica Foley

Google
We heard about how delicious Sam Jones BBQ is and went to check it out. It was just ok. The meat tasted good but after I stopped eating all I could taste was what I believe was liquid smoke. The cornbread was odd. It may be a regional thing but it was super dense. We got one of the sharing plates and there was enough for 4 people.

Forrest Pruitt

Google
Order was placed around 6:10 pm. Parked and called to notify staff I was there for pickup at 6:45 pm. At 7:27 pm brought food out to car. The employee did offer free dessert. While she was gone to get dessert, I checked the food and it was barely warm. The manager did offer refund. This is the second time we have ordered here and had a very long wait.

Deborah Calvert

Google
Long lines but service moves quickly. Once seated food was quickly delivered, hot and delicious. Best part was as we were leaving I stopped to take a picture of the smoke house inside and I was allowed to step inside for a quick look around. Awesome, it really made my day.

Eric

Google
Nice slow cooked BBQ. The ribs don't fall off the bone but are cooked well. The chicken was still juicy with a nice crispy skin. The pulled pork is cooked just right. They have a couple of sauces to choose from on the table. Service is friendly and knowledgeable of what they are serving and come by your table a few times to check on you for a refill or I anything else is needed. I would visit if In the area again.

Michael Shugart

Google
First time here the service and cash register people everybody was very friendly and the food came quick and it was delicious. I had the barbecue plate with slaw and there was no gristle or anything negative in it it was delicious. It also had the cornbread which is the very dense kind not the soft kind the hand cut fries were also good even after I got them home and they were not quite as hot they were still delicious
google avatar

Randy S.

Yelp
Whole hog bbq cooked over wood, so I was really happy to find this after being disappointed in Parkers. Meat had great flavor, just a bit dry, but it was close to closing time so understandable. Spicy, peppery vinegar sauce fixed it up. Same for the chips, good flavor but few actual chips, mostly broken crumbs like the bottom of the bag, I imagine these are really good fresh or earlier in the day. Mac and Cheese was good, but microwaved so a bit dry too. Ordered the pork skins and pimento and the skins were hot and popping even after picking it up, driving back to the hotel and setting everyone else up before I opened them and dug in. I would have preferred the pimento cheese hot, but that's just me, it tasted fine. And the serving was massive, I've been eating on then for 3 days now.
google avatar

Ava J.

Yelp
I did not love this BBQ. It was very fast and convenient to receive. They have a drive through although it was difficult for the employee to hear us through the speaker. It is a very casual BBQ restaurant. The pulled pork was good but they did not have a classic barbecue sauce that complimented it well. Their sweet BBQ tasted like it had franks hot sauce mixed into it. The cornbread was terrible. It was flat, dense, and tasted like nothing. The fries were good, similar to five guys. The Mac and cheese was okay but nothing special. The honey mustard was the best part of the meal. It was some of the best I've ever had! The banana a pudding was good but the white on top was foamy rather than the whipped cream topping I would expect. I would return for solely their honey mustard. I'm very disappointed in the quality and flavor of the cornbread.
google avatar

May-May R.

Yelp
Great BBQ. Great lunch deals. The sauces (sweet BBQ and Carolina Vinegar) were fantastic. The pulled pork was tender & not dry. The collards were well cooked and had a great spice to them. Our food was brought to our table pretty quickly after ordering and the staff were always making sure we had everything we needed. I'm only taking off one star b/c the cornbread is definitely not the typical cornbread I am used to (it was so tough, we couldn't even break it apart to eat). Otherwise, it's a great option to the BBQ scene in Greenville!
google avatar

Jay Tristan S.

Yelp
The food was absolutely amazing. The service was amazing and everybody was respectful and everything turned out perfect and everybody was on top of all of it. Best experience as a first-time customer here.
google avatar

Shaheen H.

Yelp
I had the pulled pork. It was good so was the potato salad. BBQ sauce was so so. I did not like the cornbread. Way too dense for me. Nice and clean restaurant, and helpful staff. I will come back to try the chicken or ribs.
google avatar

Ben T.

Yelp
Came to Greenville as a visiting football fan and we sought out a good BBQ restaurant on Saturday for our pregame meal/lunch. We were not disappointed at all. While NC BBQ is different than Texas BBQ, we were all about the "pulled pork." The meat was flavorful and I had a blast alternating between the vinegar and sweet BBQ sauce. I had the Mac and cheese as my side and I thoroughly enjoyed it. What surprised me was my wife's choice of the coleslaw. I'm not much for creamy coleslaw so this vinegar-based coleslaw hit the spot for me as I regretted not ordering it myself. I wish I had ordered other meats but hey, next time we're in Greenville, I'm making sure we come back so I can order additional items. Finally, the staff was terrific even though we were in our ECU opponent gear and the overall restaurant atmosphere was friendly. As I said above, I look forward to our return trip to Greenville so we can visit Sam Jones BBQ again.

Melissa T.

Yelp
Employees were very friendly and answered all our questions about the menu as it was our first time eating here. Food arrived quickly and was delicious! Glad to finally have a chance to mark this BBQ joint off our state bucket list, it was worth the drive.
google avatar

Vincent L.

Yelp
In Greenville, there are eastern BBQ options. B's, Parkers, Sam Jones....... B's been on magazine and TV and very famous. Sam Jones is more comfortable in their seating and have more varieties. Get their samplers. so you can try bits of everything. I am not a BBQ experts but everything is good. If you think some items are lacking, there are multiple bbq sauce option to increase the flavors.

Jordan C.

Yelp
Talk about some whole hog my goodness. Great ambiance you can smell the smoke calling your name from miles away.smoked turkey and bakes beans will knock your socks off.

Jenny C.

Yelp
The food is so good! The service is amazing! The ambiance is amazing! Don't like barbecue but love the fried chicken sandwich and Mac and cheese !
google avatar

Tom K.

Yelp
They have very good BBQ. Service is very good and friendly. Beans are great! Nice twist on pulled pork with the crunchy bits in it.
google avatar

Steve L.

Yelp
Okay folks, I think we have a winner here in terms of Carolina BBQ goes. I ordered the 3 Meat combo because I wanted to try a variety of their signature entree items and boy every single meat item did not disappoint. The meats were cooked to perfection with full flavors. The BBQ pork was super succulent and the meat from the ribs literally falls off the bone when you pick it up. The sweet hickory taste of the ribs were my favorite. The smoke turkey was super moist! Both the collard greens and the sweet slaws were prepared just right. Unfortunately, the cornbread was the only thing I didn't care too much for. It was bland, dry and didn't really taste like cornbread. Other than that I love the place. I'll be sure and hit this place up the next time I am in town.
google avatar

Tom B.

Yelp
Excellent bbq. Super fast and friendly service. Loved the pulled pork and all the sauces
google avatar

Pete K.

Yelp
Food is good. Can't go wrong with this place. Just stay away from the cornbread. Service is always great. I've never had an issue with anything except the cornbread
google avatar

Roy A.

Yelp
Some of the best BBQ money can buy. I've tried BBQ all over the state and beyond. This is the very best in my opinion that money can buy. The BBQ had that smoky taste which I love, tender, and very flavorful. I had beans with the cornbread and it was excellent also. The beans were cooked with red peppers which gave it the zesty taste. Service was excellent also as the waitress was friendly and gracious.

Harold T.

Yelp
To day was the worst bbq I have ever gotten there. I believe the tray off bbq had been under a heat lamp. I noticed an orange tint when it was first served. It was dried it and had no taste. I will have to think it over before going back. It definitely was not fresh chopped.
google avatar

Charlie F.

Yelp
While in Greenville on a Sunday I decided to try this local offspring of the famous Skylight Inn. You know you are in a good barbecue place when you see the cords of wood and smell the smoke as you enter! The line to order was long, but it moved quickly. My choice was the $10.99 Jones Family Original BBQ Tray - bbq, mac n cheese, and cornbread. After placing my order I was given a table marker (a number on one side and a photo of a country music star on the other) and went to a table. While waiting I enjoyed the sounds from the kitchen where you could hear that barbecue being chopped. The meal was delivered with a minimal wait. That was some great bbq! Also enjoyed the mac and cheese and the cornbread, which was wonderfully moist. Now I have to try the Raleigh location!
google avatar

Kaity J.

Yelp
Sam Jones is always a pretty solid BBQ stop in the Ayden area -- especially if you like whole hog or are curious about trying it. I love that they have a drive thru, which makes everything quick and simple. The service is always friendly. Food is tasty and affordable. Ambiance of a classic barbecue spot. Definitely worth a stop.
google avatar

Gen S.

Yelp
Once again, the turkey did not disappoint!!! Neither did the chicken or the ribs! All were well-seasoned, flavorful, tender, juicy, all out bbq greatness! The baked beans were also tasty. I've learned my lesson with the macaroni and cheese though. Gotta find an alternative side.
google avatar

Tim P.

Yelp
Coming from Los Angeles I was looking for authentic Carolina barbecue and I found it here. Thanks to Nick, I think he's one of the managers. He told me all about the tradition of making Carolina pork bbq. Pictured are pork ribs that fell off the bone, baked beans, sweet slaw, and cornbread. The cornbread was as a little dense for my taste. But they gave me a sweet potato muffin and it was unbelievable. This is a can't miss local BBQ restaurant you don't want to miss out on.
google avatar

Hawkin C.

Yelp
North Carolina is suppose to have good Bbq. We when by reviews so we tried this place. This place serves chop whole hog and chop chicken and brisket. We ordered chop chicken with collar greens and corn bread, the chicken and collar greens was ok, the corn bread was like hockey puck. The next dish ordered ribs and chop brisket, ribs were dry and brisket ok.
google avatar

Liz W.

Yelp
The food was fine overall, but we spent nearly $50 and got the smallest dessert plate size trays imaginable with a half cup of pulled pork, paper weight hard cornbread, and warm pimento cheese app. If you wanted BBQ that is a solid bang for your buck, don't come here. The staff was friendly, wasn't very clean but they at least tried to wipe down tables. Vinegar sauce was good but forgettable like Sam Jones BBQ will be in my book.
google avatar

Eva L.

Yelp
Carolina BBQ! Went to this cool spot and really wanted to try some beer but it was only 12PM and I had a long drive ahead of me home. Came here with a friend and the outdoor and indoor area are cabin/lodge themed, definitely stands out in a beach town. Lots of good options but with only two of us, not that much can eat and try. The Jones Family BBQ was quite good with options of sauces at the table: Carolina sweet sauce which was sweet and tangy and another sauce Carolina vinegar based. Gives you the best of both worlds. The cornbread was just okay and the Mac and cheese was pretty good. Overall decently good for bbq, would like to come back and try the other bbq like the Turkey or the three meat!

Wanda G.

Yelp
Check your order prior to leaving to ensure a good meal. The food quality in terms of taste is solid. The drive through service today at 4 pm wasn't good. The girl with the long, loud and unsanitary nails needs to go! Terrible attitude and incompetent.
google avatar

John H.

Yelp
If you love true North Carolina BBQ Sam Jones is the place. The pork is smoked over real wood and hand-chopped to include bits of cooked skin to give it a real nice crunch. The smoke flavor really kicks it up a notch. The Turkey and brisket are excellent. Mac and Cheese is BIG, so as the collards. Beer is available for those who require it. Wait staff are attentive and do a good job taking care of customers. Come in the front, wait in line for the register, pay, and take a number (with a Country Star on it) and have a seat inside or out. To-go also available. It's homey, but country. The kind of design that you'd expect from a professional BBQ joint. Food can be a bit pricey...but I think it's worth it.
google avatar

Steve F.

Yelp
Our first visit here was for take out and it was a definite winner. Aside from being a bit cold (probably our fault for doing take out), the chopped pork was the best I've had in NC - so tender, moist and flavorful. Sides (slaw and mac & cheese) were decent and the sweet potato roll was tasty. The banana pudding was the finishing touch - and a fine one it was. Sam's is definitely bookmarked for our next visit to the area.

John P.

Yelp
Every time I drive by this place it smells amazing. Line was long but went fast. Just know what you want when it's time to order.

Kelly W.

Yelp
Drove 2 hours for this bbq and it did not disappoint. Friendly, fast and great atmosphere. The bbq was well worth the drive! Will return!
google avatar

Jay I.

Yelp
Yeehaw Yee haw. This is no five-star restaurant. Tables are not covered with white table cloth. The barbecue is delicious. The turkey was amazingly moist and tender. The drinks, both of them, each of them frozen we're both so good. I prefer the white one. I can't remember the name but it's a kind of piña colada. The wait staff was friendly. We'll go back when we want barbecue again. Those lil sweet potato muffins were tasty as was the loaded potato. Yeah thumbs up
google avatar

Bernadette P.

Yelp
I' new to NC and was hungry around 1pm on a Saturday. I could smell bbq as I drove by the restaurant and decided to get some bbq. Never been to this restaurant before. Surprisingly, they have a drive thru. I ordered chopped bbq, collard greens, cornbread and baked beans. I Asked if they had brisket... the don't serve it. Got my food and drive home. They didn't send any bbq sauce. No pickles. No onions. Nothing that a Texas bbq joint would put in the bag or ask if I wanted them. The chopped bbq was dry. The collards had flavor... vinegary goodness. I'd order again. The cornbread... was weird. Gelatinous inside texture. I wonder what they put in there? The baked beans.. very good! I'd order again. The ribs... dry. Basically, I only liked 2 out of 5 items I ordered. The meat and cornbread I deem as not edible. Hard pass going here again.

Matthew D.

Yelp
Food was OK. Chicken was flavorful and had a good crust however was tough. The turkey was the best. It was moist and very flavorful. The ribs were decent kind of dry however, the bark was very good and the barbecue pork was slightly dry. Service was horrible, immature and rude personnel. Openly talking about customers and what they dislike about them. Overall, six out of 10 would not come back because of the service. Also expect a lot of flies on your food as there's no fly or insect control inside. $54 for all the food in the pictures.

Jim A.

Yelp
Small portions per price ..and worst bbq in Greenville. Nothing but over hyped. Trying to get by on Starlight Inn s history
google avatar

Courtney G.

Yelp
We were looking for a local spot for bbq and we're told the family that owns skylight inn own this too so we had to try it.. we like whole hog bbq so we were very pleased with it. You go to counter and order and take number and they bring it out to you. The staff are helpful and very nice. They come around to tables checking to make sure everything's ok and refill beverages. I ordered a bbq sandwich wit slaw with side of loaded baked potato! The potato was bigger than the sandwich and that was pretty decent size! Omg it was delish!! Then we tried the nachos.. they are store bought pig skins with queso and bacon and chicken and omg it was good! The reason for store bought is because they chop the skins into the pork bbq so nothing left to fry up lol.. it was fine and sprinkled with a very nice seasoning too.. never had anything like this before and boy was it good!! You can sit in booths or at tables or even at the counter! If you sit at counter you'll see picture of the skylight inn.. oh and this location has beer selections where skylight inn did not allow alcohol.. this would be my Greenville go to for bbq from here on out!!
google avatar

Michael G.

Yelp
Popped in for some BBQ while on a little road trip across NC we were blown away a BBQ sandwich with fries hit the spot we tried some pork skin nachos that were deliciously different stop by this spot next time your in Greenville

Cheryl L.

Yelp
I ordered a 2 meat platter, my husband ordered 3 meat platter, to our surprise ALL of our meats were cold. We decided to ask for to go containers shortly after we discovered that all meats were cold when someone came to our table & asked us if everything was OK & we proceeded to tell her our meats were cold & did they serve all meats that way? She said no & said that she could get us another order, she said hold on I'll be back. After waiting about 10 minutes of her not ever coming back to our table we just left. Very disappointing to say the least.
google avatar

T W.

Yelp
Two are lunch for $31.00. HOLY Smokes!! This is full on Old School smoke house BBQ. I had the smoked chicken - unreal and the collards were some of the best I've had and that is saying a lot! This is a must. Can't believe they have a full on smoke vault connected to it - read coals and all!
google avatar

Abby R.

Yelp
Can I give them an extra star? The food here is SO good. Like incredible. The staff was so nice and accommodating. We were greeted when we got there. The sweet tea is so good AND they came and brought out refills. The collards are so good and I've had some good ole southern collard greens. The bbq was SO good and had little cracklings in it... omg go!!! The sauce is really good. A sweet bbq sauce. The other is a vinegar based with a little kick. All I can say is GO!
google avatar

Dee B.

Yelp
We love the Smokehouse Potato! The plates and food is great! Catfish: Man!!! Even the pudding is awesome! I just order extra sides as left overs for the next day!! Baked beans put me in heaven
google avatar

Clarissa V.

Yelp
Good East north Carolina vinegary sauces and bbq sauces. Loved my pulled pork but my partner loved his roast chicken and Turkey pieces even more. Happy the beans were with beef not Burnt end pork (although that's my fave) but then my friend could eat it too. Totes know what someone meant by the cornbread is "interesting" o. The first second of my my bite but it was Yumm! They did forget to take my wings order when they were trying to fix the order when they out they ordered up the wrong meal , and I guess she deleted the wing order too. I was hoping to go and compare the food then at the inn but we were so full it was all good.
google avatar

Bob B.

Yelp
Food was good, not a fan of the cornbread. Lots of choices. Self serve but line went fast.

Merton C.

Yelp
Food is old time wood cooked Pork BBQ and it is really great. You can taste the smoked favor in the meat.
google avatar

Christopher T.

Yelp
"Sam Jones BBQ". It's a nice name. Until you get there and they are OUT of BBQ. We got here with a little over an hour left til close and you are out of chopped pork, chicken, AND smoked turkey. Outrageous! If you plan on eating here, you better come for breakfast!

Josh G.

Yelp
The food is absolutely amazing. My favorite BBQ place in Winterville by far, and possibly the greater Greenville area. There is one other BBQ joint that may be better, but they close notoriously early. I love that they cook the hogs on-site. The smell of the wood burning right beside the restaurant lends itself to the atmosphere. I often sit outside whenever I bring friends for the first time and talk about how true to the spirit of pig-pickings this place is. The only thing missing is my whole family and a downed tree to feed the fire. The service is also great. They bring your food to you, and often I have too many people asking if we need anything. Sometimes the ambiance inside is a bit loud, but it's nothing unique. Every popular restaurant in Greenville/Winterville seems to be loud. They have a craft beer specific to the restaurant made by Pitt Street Brewing Company, another quality business here in Pitt County. Definitely give it a try, and get the BBQ plate to pair. I frequent here often, and always bring out-of-state friends to experience.
google avatar

Kristen C.

Yelp
Back in the South while visiting family and they took us here for lunch after raving about their history. Friendly service, food was quick to come out and it was delicious! Ribs especially.
google avatar

Kendall P.

Yelp
Wow, really really good pulled pork here! The smokehouse is attached to the restaurant, so you know they're doing this right. I also had chicken, it was amazing too. The sides I had, collards and black eyed peas, were very tasty. Only minor ding would be I didn't care for the cornbread here, I'm more used to sweet cornbread, and this was a little plain and dense. If you get a bread choice, go for the sweet potato muffin thing (can't remember what it was called), it was on point.

Darrel P.

Yelp
I ordered a 2 meat plate BBQ and smoked turkey. The BBQ was great but the turkey was not worth a try. The price was way to high for the amount of food you get I don't recommend this place due to that fact but everything I got was good except the turkey.
google avatar

Tina H.

Yelp
Best turkey ever. EVER. The Mac n cheese was cheesy and delicious, loved the collards. That might be the best pulled pork I ever put in my mouth. Great meal!
google avatar

Rose S.

Yelp
Best bbq in Greenville, by far! Good size portions, variety of choices. And they have the best honey mustard salad dressing!! Everything we've tried on the menu has been great! Highly recommend you check them out!

Christopher B.

Yelp
Been to Skylight BBQ years ago, and decided to try this modem interpretation. Relatively dry pork BBQ and good BBQ like Skylight didn't need a sugar sauce. Skylight also had crunchy skin. The collards were not cooled and doused with lots of vinegar. Such a shame.