Wilber's Barbecue

I came to Wilber’s Barbecue on Highway 70 because Matt Moore flagged it in his book The South’s Best Butts—but what I got was more than a meal: it was a walk through one of Eastern North Carolina’s most intact whole-hog traditions. Willis Underwood, part of the local group that brought Wilber’s back after it closed in 2019, generously showed me how the process still runs pit-centric. Wilber’s has been here since 1962, founded by Wilber Shirley, and it remains known for cooking whole hogs over hardwood coals on open pits. Out back, the story starts with wood: split oak delivered in bulk, stacked daily, and burned down into a bed of coals. Those coals are moved—literally shovel by shovel—into the smokehouse, where decades of cooking have darkened the brick into a glossy, smoke-sealed patina. Inside, the pits run in a long line like a corridor. The hogs arrive pre-prepped and are hung briefly in refrigeration by a remaining leg—an efficient way to handle the animals and stage them for the pit. They’re cooked slow over the coals, then finished to tighten and crisp the skin. Willis pointed out a detail I won’t forget: after he installed overhead lights, the longtime pitmaster asked to keep them off. He doesn’t “cook by the clock.” He gauges doneness by the look and sound of the drippings hitting the coals—a kind of sensory calibration that only comes from decades standing in the same heat, listening to the same fire. I took my seat inside the restaurant and before the pork even arrived, Wilber’s set the tone with the sides. They brought a basket of hushpuppies and a bowl of gravy—something I’d never had together. The hushpuppies were crisp outside and soft inside with just a little chew, and the gravy was the perfect counterpoint: warm, savory, and just loose enough to moisten each bite without drowning it. Then came the plate: chopped pork that was glazed with a tang-forward vinegar sauce, pepper flecks scattered throughout, and smoke that doesn't need to announce itself—exactly what you want in Eastern North Carolina barbecue. The sides weren’t afterthoughts; they were part of the balance. The coleslaw was classic ENC: green-only chopped cabbage, vinegar bright with just enough mayo to hold it together—fresh, clean, and built to reset your palate between bites of pork. The barbecue potatoes were soft and comforting, carrying a background note of mild smoke that echoed the pit without competing with it. Some places serve barbecue like a product. Wilber’s serves it like a process: oak to coals, coals to pits, drippings to judgment, and finally a plate that tastes like the method.

Stopped in for lunch during a trip. Got some free hush puppies and gravy to munch on; pretty good. Ordered the bbq pork sandwich with collard greens. Food was delicious, service excellent.

We loved the hometown BBQ feel with plenty of seating and incredibly friendly staff. Our server, Heather was terrific. She was patient, knowledgeable, and beyond polite. The food was good. The hushpuppies that they started us with were delicious. We tried to start with a skin box, but they were out. She did bring us a plate of what was left and a bones box and those were delicious. I ordered the 1/4 chicken plate. I'm glad we read what the BBQ options were. BBQ is baked chicken served with gravy as described on the menu. I asked for barbecue sauce instead which was just a personal preference. Mac and cheese wasn't on our menu, but it was available. It was a baked mac and it was delicious. The fries were basic crinkle fries, the green beans tasted like they were warmed up straight from the can with nothing added. The ribs were pretty good, they were the Saturday special. I was a little disappointed with my entrée as it tasted bland. I will be ordering something different next time. The service though, was next level. She didn't let a cup even get to half full before asking if we wanted more, had an answer and recommendation for every single question, and was just sooooo nice. Delicious sweet tea, fair pricing, and great customer service during one of what I'm sure is the busiest weekends in the area.

As if this place needed another great review, here's my experience. If you're anywhere near Goldsboro, this place is worth considering. I drove nearly two hours here for business in town and was told to try this place. The area was clean, the air wasn't greasy, and the staff was helpful, swift, knowledgeable, and organized. That's enough to make almost anything taste decent already. While waiting to order I received some complimentary hush puppies with chicken gravy, which really hit the spot and made me want more. Today I experimented with the skin tray, which the menu warns is unseasoned and pulled right off the pig. That's fair. Some pieces of skin were better than others but that's the nature of skin - it paired well with the complimentary gravy and they should consider offering them together. My main course was the combo plate, and I chose a bbq pork with fried chicken, macaroni & cheese, and green beans. The bbq was very clearly the star of the show and I cannot recommend it highly enough. The chicken was obviously frying just a minute before it hit my table and not warming under a bulb. My tea was left me charged me up for the drive home, and the wait staff kindly offered to leave me with a to-go cup full of it for the road. NC is blessed with many wonderful food options but if you're anywhere near Wilber's you should consider going out of your way to try the food.

You must go here! My husband & I are touring North Carolina for the month of September and this was a top highlight for us Our first barbeque meal was our best! Friendly quick service by the efficient waitress (Heather). I had never tasted hush puppies before ..how delicious they are! We had a scrumptious half plate with a side each and tried skins which were crispy and yum! The best part was a personal tour by the owner who explained how everything was made. Thank you Willis, you are a warm hearted, generous man who clearly is passionate about keeping this business a success. May it be blessed and prosper in the years ahead. Should we ever pass by again we most definitely will be visiting!

The reviews are true, this is authentic eastern Carolina BBQ. The fixings are on point, the potato salad was delicious. We sampled the beef BBQ (which was as light and flavorful as the pork). The pork BBQ was done in classic eastern Carolina style. It is chopped to a light perfection, all cuts of meat, and then seasoned appropriately. Bonus, check out the signed pictures of the airplane pilots on the wall.

Literally one of the best BBQ place I have been to in the USA!!! The pulled pork was "Chef's Kiss" Amazing!! Seeing how they made it was very cool - the smoke house was very interesting!

Beware. They claim #1 but I think they forgot a few zeros. Very disappointing. What we ordered & what we got were 2 very different things. You can only order online. We received web confirmation & email confirmation. Even the receipts showed what we ordered. But we received way less. Showed slaw was included - it was not. Showed gravy was included - it was not. Showed 1 to 2 sides - we both ordered 2 but only got one and barely one (ordered fries & we got about 10 pieces, BBQ potatoes = about 3 pieces & one was hardly cooked). And the pork was not very good - very spicy, no slaw, no sauce. Soda was mostly ice & flat. $22 not including tip. Yikes. We won’t be back.

An outstanding example of Carolina barbecue! My order to test any Carolina Q joint is the same every time: pulled pork platter with hush puppies and slaw. I was a little concerned to find hus puppies not on the menu, but that seems to be because they just assume every single table wants some and they just bring you a basket. Which is particularly nice because they are absolutely fantastic versions: fluffy, crispy-but-moist, and flavorful. Slaw was fine, but nothing fantastic. The pulled pork was absolutely top notch though, no sauce needed (but the sauce is delicious). Highly recommended if you're in the area and looking for some barbecue!

Wilbur's Barbeque is an iconic restaurant for the enjoyment of Authentic Eastern North Carolina Style of pit cooked whole hog low and slow pulled pork barbecue and all of the traditional sides with your glass of iced tea. They also have fried chicken. This refreshed and remodeled location preserves what locals have enjoyed for years. I highly recommend Wilbur's Barbecue.

Although the restaurant is cool and very clean, I'm not sure I'll be making a return trip to Wilbur's. I ordered the ribs with cabbage as one of my sides and I have to say the ribs unfortunately were dry and over seasoned. I did like the terrific light vinegar Barbecue sauce I added to the ribs though. It cut some of the sweetness and the over seasoning issue. The cabbage was outstanding and the fried okra was yummy. I appreciated the complementary order of hush puppies however, I think they were sitting under the warming lamp a little too long. I'll bet fresh from the fryer. They are super delicious particularly with the tasty sauce it comes with. I think there are better choices for barbecue in the region. Excellent service here, my waitress was terrific and I left her a good tip!

My wife, two teenage sons, and I were driving south to Wilmington, NC from Northern Virginia and decided to stop here on a roadtrip with our 8-year old miniature poodle (Lily). Since we were traveling with a dog, we were eager of find a place with informal picnic tables in the outdoors. Wilbur's has indoor seating, a take-out section for drive-thru service only, and a few outdoor picnic tables near the BBQ smoking pit (with a huge pile of wood) and field of raw cotton. You can order a tray or platter of whole-hog BBQ depending on how many sides you like. While inside to place our order, I was talking with the friendly server who kindly pointed out they had just run out of collard greens. So I chose the baked sweet potato instead. By the way, the hush puppies are delightful (they come with all trays or platters). As we were waiting for my son's sweet tea, I asked if they sold any bottled sauces. The main manager kindly offered me a bottle of vinegar sauce for free! I was really impressed that they made this gesture. When the food came to our picnic table outside, the whole hog BBQ seemed dry. But afte adding the spicy sauce of vinegar, culinary magic emerged in the tray. I don't know what they put in the sauce, but the combination of sauce and the pork BBQ was just divine. Here's the funny thing. If you eat the whole hog BBQ without the sauce, you will be sorely disappointed. Also, the sides were OK, but the hush puppies were outstanding. Apparently, it takes 13 hours of slow smoking to create the mouth-watering eastern Carolina BBQ! Bottom line - Wilbur's BBQ is amazing IF AND ONLY IF you get the BBQ sauce. Without the sauce, it's kind of meh. With the sauce, it's divine! Also, if you are traveling with a dog on a long roadtrip and happen to be near Goldsboro, this place is a great option for a casual lunch or dinner

Food is great. Take out service is a little clunky and I would love to see them stay open a little later!

Got to re-connect with this NC barbecue pillar after many years away. It's just what I remember. I like that they don't "over-chop" the meat which sometimes results in barbecue mush. The pork and the hush puppies are the stars - both top shelf! Fast, friendly, reliable service - dinner was just as quick as fast food but obviously much better. Glad to see Wilber's is still going strong after 63 years.

My experience with Eastern Carolina barbecue turned out to be most memorable here. I had a group of 5 and everyone raved about it. For me, the experience with the pork is what I will remember most. It seems like this place relies on their slow technique to provide the flavor instead of seasoning. It comes out incredibly juicy, and in this case their sauce complements it perfectly instead of overwhelming it. But on top of all of that, the hush puppies were addictive, the chicken was tender and juicy, the potato salad was wonderful, and even the sweet tea was perfect. As an out of towner passing through from Philly, this will be a meal I remember for a long time.

Always great eastern NC BBQ at Wilbur's. They've expanded a lot in the past few years despite the highway bypass likely killing a lot of the traveler business. Go easy, get the bbq sandwich with slaw on top, some hush puppies and Brunswick stew, you leave feeling happy!

Walked in tonight at 5:45 and was told they were closed. This is the third time this has happened to me in the last 6 months. I get it - it is the night before thanksgiving and you're giving your staff some extra time off, but if you are going to have hours posted, honor those hours to the best of your ability. This is a regular occurrence. Post it online for your customers to see (it was not posted on the Facebook page). I had family from Texas that had their heart set on some good bbq, and y'all are the best in town. I mean that - I love the food here, but I won't be back. Third time's a charm.

While driving through Goldsboro from Asheville, we were told by multiple people that we HAD to stop by Wilber's. The staff were AMAZING and the owner even stopped by our table to chat and wish us a safe drive. We were throughly impressed with our visit and experience! Side-note - the hush puppies were delish!

This place is an Eastern NC BBQ institution. Hard stop. They've been doing it right for years, and there's nothing that fills the belly and feeds the soul like a trip to Wilber's. They still cook whole hogs over coals in their out house out back, respecting the animal that is so beloved and revered in the region. Friendly owners and staff make you feel at home, and they serve solid portions at a very reasonable price. If you're heading to the beach or rolling through town on 70, you HAVE to stop in. And even if you live in the Triangle, it's 100% worth the trip.

No! Terrible service, terrible paper menu, we were told this place is good. No atmosphere and the food was barely average, bones in the barbecue(I told her this she did not say a word). There are waaaaaay better barbecue places all over NC than this little joint. Collards were good!

I used to go there when I was living in Goldsboro I miss that place. Good food. Is a clean nice restaurant la e and the staff are good. The service and the ambiente nice everything I give that place 100%

Wilbers is hands down the best in the area. We've lived here for two weeks and have been here three times. Their prices are fair, staff friendly, and food delish!!! I love their house made bbq sauce!

Service was great. Love a Wednesday for the BBQ Turkey. Daily specials add variety to the tried and true tasty menu of Pork BBQ and chicken. Hush puppies were fresh out of the deep fryer served with a side of gravy. Sides are southern! Banana pudding is very sweet. Best iced tea in Wayne County. Simple, clean, comfortable dining room. Wilbur's offers beer and wine. Just know they close at 7pm and all day Monday and Tuesday.

We stopped at Wilber's on the way home from the beach. After years of hearing about Wilber's from my grandparents going 40+ years ago to my girls parents talking about going there 40+ years ago when they lived on base it was time we both experienced it. Being on the go we were looking to be quick so we ordered over the phone. The food was ready as we pulled in. Bbq plate w/ fries + collareds - 10/10 A little spice in the Bbq which I loved. Forgot to ask for vinegar for the collared but they were still great without it. Bbq chicken plate w/ fried Okra + collareds -9/10 great flavor overall. Just needed a little more texture for the chicken. (Not sure why we ordered chicken at an NC Bbq joint) Will be back in every single time we drive back from the beach. Don't miss this place. Next time we will make sure to sit in because the inside of the place is incredible.

Super fast service literally was seated and finished meal in 30 min. Really good Smokey vinegar based bbq with lil kick(red pepper flakes in pork). Old school BBQ done right. Brunswick stew solid as well. Wish I lived closer would like to eat here couple times a week.

Been coming to this place since I was a kid going down to the beach. The bbq here is great. I love their pulled pork with a bit of their sauce. You have to shake the bottle to get all the flavor. I usually get pulled pork with potato salad and slaw. Love the potato salad it has a great mustard flavor to it and is well balanced. The pulled pork is great very tender and nicely seasoned with the sauce. I prefer the sauce heavy on it. The slaw is ok in my opinion it's finely chopped cabbage seasoned with salt pepper and vinegar. While I have had better its unique to them. Everyone gets some hush puppies with butter. As always was delicious. Tried the new Brunswick stew and the fried okra. The stew was very meaty and hardy. Had good a balanced flavor. Fried okra was excellent had a great crunch and good amount of spice.

The Fam's go-to place for BBQ on our way to the beach is Grady's - a hole-in-the-wall off the beaten track that serves dynamite 'q. But on our recent trip, we wanted to find someplace different (and more accessible) so we decided to try Wilber's. Much more upscale, on a main road, with a decent (and full) parking lot. As we were doing a to-go order the folks inside directed us to add our car to a short line outside; would have been nice to see some signage out front so we could have avoided the trek inside in the hot, hot sun. But once in line, the wait was pretty short. We placed our orders (chopped whole hog sammies, sauce on the side, plus hush puppies, coleslaw, and a bottle of their Eastern Carolina sauce for future use. Food was delivered quickly, but they forgot the sauce. We pulled outta the line and drove back into the parking lot to eat - and that's when we found (a) they gave us no utensils and (b) the lid on the coleslaw was off. Sigh. Not wanting to get back in line we ate with what we had: fingers. The pork was excellent, a generous portion served on a hamburger roll. The sauce had just the right amount of vinegary, peppery heat, so it went well with the juicy pork. The slaw was really sweet but hey, that's a individual taste issue. The hushpuppies were, well, hushpuppies, just like all the ones I' e ever had. Overall: really good food, less good restaurant experience. Would I go back? Yes, in a heartbeat would I do the drive through like process? Nah, would much rather eat inside (but with kids in the car, didn't have the choice). Do I recommend Wilber's? Yes - but I still prefer Grady's... ...which it turns out was was right on our way back (thanks Waze). Sigh...

This BBQ join is out of bounds!! The pictures don't do justice and if you don't believe me ya'll have to come on down and try it yourself! The service is terrific! You can't beat a place that offers some of the best NC style BBQ around while offering generous portions all for an affordable price! Come on over ya'll and get your fixin!

3.5 stars. Great service, reasonable prices. Collars were very good, as was the pulled pork. Decent fried okra. Excellent banana pudding.

Food was quick and delicious. Great value. Easy to get to. We got 2 plates with 4 sides and it fed 3 of us. Definitely recommend.

This really is great NC BBQ. The only issue I have is the address is wrong in Yelp. The actual location is 20 min down the road. Look at the web site for the proper location.

Excellent BBQ. Hush puppies also great, along with great collards. Brunswick stew is good. Waitress friendly and efficient. We will definitely stop again when in Goldsboro.

We read about Wilber's and had to come check it out for ourselves. We came in for lunch and were seated right away. Our server was AWESOME! She answered all of our questions, made the kids feel extra special, and really helped to make our experience an amazing one. We ordered a BBQ platter, the flounder special, the BBQ tray, and 2 orders of the kids corn dog nuggets. Everything was delicious! They brought out a plate of hush puppies with gravy. Yum! My BBQ tray came with delicious pulled pork and slaw. I drizzled the BBQ with their Carolina sauce and loved it! We were not planning on having dessert, but when we heard the cakes were award winners and homemade- well obviously we had to try them ;). We got a slice of the coconut cake, pecan pie, and carrot cake. They were devoured! The manager came to check on us to make sure we were having a good experience. We were and we will definitely come back for some delicious NC BBQ!!

Wilber's was and still is the BBQ place to check out after a trip to the coast. Despite being challenged by the pandemic and the I-42 project, they are still going. The new interstate bypass draws most traffic away from this place. However, this stretch of US 70 still sees lots of cars. Tonight was busy with carry-out orders. They have a "Q Thru" drive-thru tent where cars line up to pick up BBQ. The tent had cars throughout my time here. I chose to have a good dinner with mom before we go home. We had yard bird (chicken) and took home a container of their pulled pork. We came from the BBQ Fest on the Neuse with equally good pulled pork to go, but nothing can compare with Wilber's. I remember when my family would frequent this place after a trip to the beach. The new interstate will make visiting harder, but come off the highway and check them out. To me, visiting Wilber's brings back good memories from childhood. If I find myself wanting a good BBQ dinner after time at the beach, this is where I will go.

I'm not from this part of the state. My expectations of BBQ are different from here but overall I am happy with my wonderful wife's pick of Wilber's BBQ for lunch. Lunchtime on a Saturday didn't cause any issues with service. We were seated immediately and drink orders were taken. Are you looking for a glass bottle Coke? They've got it! We were brought a basket of hushpuppies with a side of chicken gravy for the appetizer. Bangin! Food orders were taken when the drinks arrived. Fried Chicken, Fried Okra, Black Eyed Peas, Green Beans, BBQ Potatoes, Chicken Livers, and Bones & Pulled Pork were ordered. Due to the chicken livers being cooked to order I believe we waited about 6 minutes. 2 out of the fried chickens hit the spot. The third was wet. Maybe from a chaffing dish. The sides were good, typical sides. If the potatoes had more of a BBQ sauce flavor they'd have been better. The chicken livers were on point! I'm not as big a fan as my wife but I enjoyed these. Bones & Pulled Pork- deal of the day! Imagine being brought the barky bits of pig after being smoked and the back bone after the ribs have been cut off. After pulling all of the meat off of them I had a pretty nice pile of BBQ on mg plate. I was pleasantly surprised. Paired with their sauce, this was a good choice. Next time I'll try the BBQ tray and get a true feel of their BBQ.

Absolutely exceeded our expectations. Took a little detour on our way to Oak Island. Will definitely go out of our way to return.

It used to be delicious but my last visit there was a nightmare. It was awful. The potato salad had changed completely. The hush puppies tasted different. The bbq was cold and had no hickory smoke taste. It tasted like it was gas cooked and not wood fire smoked. Even the tea was not as sweet as it used to be. To be honest with you even the waiters were different and it looked like it was a different management manager. I've been going there all my life as I pass it going to the beach. I'm now going to start stopping at McCalls bbq down the road at the stop light. I've heard they hickory smoke there bbq.

Awesome North Carolina BBQ!! Everything was fresh and flavorful. The service was quick and the restaurant was clean and busy at 11:00 am. Loved it!!

Great food! Quick & friendly service ! First time here in the area, really appreciate the service Thank you!!!

The pork BBQ was great as well as the BBQ chicken. The sides were good, although we weren't huge fans of the collards or BBQ potatoes. However the hush puppies with gravy more than made up for the vegetable shortcomings! The staff was super nice and helpful. We definitely left full and happy!

What a gem, Samantha our waitress was so fun We are visiting from California and really appreciate nice folks. Thank you The food was wonderful and the beer was delicious A must visit if in town

The food was cold, didn't have anything available for us. We had to substitute almost all of our food. The manager did not want to talk with us sent the waitress out to talk. There was only one waitress. The busboy had to bring us bags and fill drinks. Then wouldn't even take in consideration of reducing anything. The atmosphere was very negative when we sat down.

Had an amazing visit here. My girlfriend and I are doing the NC Historic BBQ trail and this place was in both of our top 3 (we've done 12 of the 20 so far). The barbecue has lots of vinegar on it, so make sure you're definitely coming to try out Eastern NC style. Both of us loved it and the portion sizes. The hushpuppies and the dipping sauce appetizers were also a nice touch. They keep them coming too. Green beans and fried okra were solid, and complimentary with a little hot sauce. For dessert, we got banana pudding. Pretty unique in that their banana pudding has more of a whipped and solid texture, so more of a bread pudding than your traditional banana pudding. A perfect experience though.

Really good Carolina barbecue & great drive up service. My wife & I were driving to Atlantic Beach from Nashville & I told her I wanted to try some good authentic Carolina bbq on the trip back since I haven't ever done so before & needed to add it to my BBQ experiences having had BBQ from pretty much all other major BBQ regions. There are a lot of choices down this way. From regional chains to local mom & pop restaurants we had to do some research to narrow it down to one place. Yelp & Google helped listing Wilbers as one of the best family owned locations going back to the 60's. It was a small 10 minute detour off 70 so we went for it. We arrived at 12:40 local & the "Q thru" their version of a drive through which is a big canopy tent out front was empty so we pulled in & then about 8 cars joined us out of nowhere. Immediately several employees came out with tablets & started taking orders. After placing our order we had our food in our car in less than 5 minutes which was kind of crazy as this place wouldn't strike me as a "fast food" joint at first glance. I ordered the combo plate with bbq chicken, bbq pork, fried okra & boiled potatoes, it also comes with 4 deliciously sweet hush puppies. My wife got the bbq sandwich with Cole slaw on it and green beans. We also split some banana pudding. The chicken was fall off the bone moist. It had a sorta brown bbq gravy over it that was very good also. I ate it first as the bones just fell out of it due to the tenderness. The okra was excellent just like the homemade okra I grew up having some of the chicken gravy was in that section & it soaked it up making it even better. The potatoes were fine nothing crazy but as advertised. Boiled and buttery. Now the bbq pork was something else. They don't serve it with traditional sauce & I didn't see any option for it but maybe there was? It is very juicy due to a vinegar sauce it's served out of. It had a nice rich vinegar flavor with the occasional delicious skin pieces found if your lucky. If I had to do it again I'd get the bbq sandwich with slaw like my wife as that vinegar pork & the slaw was probably an amazing pairing. I wouldn't know because she ate hers so fast which is a good indicator it was good because she is notoriously picky when it comes to BBQ. Banana pudding was the least impressive part of the meal. It was fine but to much like a bread pudding than what I'm used to. We watched Air Force F15 Eagles while we were eating for 20 minutes practice touch & go landings & take offs at the base behind the restaurant. A really cool added bonus to this places location as they come right in over the parking lot & make some tight turns facing towards it.

Been coming to Wilber's for a long time. New blood has kept the tradition alive while putting a new spin on the dining rooms. We will always stop at Wilber's on our way through Goldsboro for really great barbecue and good service.

Wonderful BBQ. Had meal which included BBQ sandwich; drink; and side. I had Brunswick Stew as my side. All was delicious. So full, we took homemade desserts to eat later, Pecan pie and carrot cake. Wait staff worked well as a team and super helpful. Clean restrooms.

Honestly, I'd never heard of this place until 1 day before it's not-so-grand reopening on July 15. As luck would have it, you have to drive through Goldsboro on HWY 70 to get to the beach and Wilber's instantly went on my must-eat list. Currently, the menu is limited and rightfully so: they've been selling out of their legendary pork well before closing time each day. Wilber's is an iconic Eastern North Carolina barbecue destination (but isn't EVERY BBQ restaurant east of Raleigh iconic in some way?) in Goldsboro, NC - which opened in 1962, escaped from the throes of bankruptcy late last year only to emerge and close in March 2019 due to the pandemic-is now offering barbecue curbside. The interior is completely renovated, and when we went, the public wasn't allowed inside yet (and not even to use the facilities, as we quickly found out while waiting in the hot ass car line). Classic eastern style pork BBQ with a lot of history and perseverance behind it is what you'll find at this spot. I'm looking forward to trying the chicken next time I'm rambling through town.

When I think Eastern NC barbecue, Wilber's is at the top of the list. I spent many childhood family reunions either eating at Wilber's or eating it as catered food at a local church. This was my second trip in 4 months, and I loved it just as much this time as I did the last. I even got tea, because tea just goes better with barbecue. I've never gotten anything but chopped barbecue, because does anything else exist? I mean it does (and on Wednesdays the special is barbecue turkey), but it's my favorite. And so are their hushpuppies. And the butter beans for a side were spot on. I didn't leave a single bean behind. The service is quick, and the tea cup is never empty. The ambiance is old school barbecue joint. Wood panel walls, no frills chairs, and large meeting rooms towards the back. The bathrooms have been updated since I first started coming here, but they still have the hand washing station outside the bathrooms in case you just need to wash your im hands before you eat. The buttermilk pie is fantastic, also.

I'm in town working and have been for almost a month and a few weeks ago decided to give this place a try. On my way to the hotel from work I would seem plumes of smoke coming from the building plus a sign that reads "Voted #1 Barbecue in NC". That was a lie. The ribs looked as if they came from a malnourished calf and the pulled pork was so dry that I first mistook it for turkey. The locals seem to love it but I guess when there's no other options close by you acquire a taste for it.

Iconic NC barbecue! So easy to place on online order, staff was fast and super friendly. All the exact, perfect flavors you would expect from legendary NC BBQ.

Had no expectations coming in but DAMN! THE best barbecue I've ever had. The baby back ribs with the mustard rub was amazing. I got the pulled pork sandwich and the potato salad and it blew Smithfield's out of the water. GET THE BANANA PUDDING. Jesus himself was in the back making that banana pudding. The service was super quick and personable. And it's a nice quiet restaurant to enjoy a family meal in. 11/10!

Quintessential Southern BBQ , with some interesting twists. I got the BBQ 1/2 chicken with 2 sides. The BBQ chicken was dressed with a deliciously salty chicken gravy. That same gravy was served as a dipping sauce for the hush puppies, yum! My husband had the chopped pork, cooked everyday from whole hogs on the pit, lovely plain meat ready for you to sauce or not to sauce. He had coke slaw, as did I and okra. The okra was delicious and I think he enjoyed them, they were gone before any of the rest of his meal. The coke slaw was perfect, not sweet or too vinegary, beautiful balanced sweet and sour. I also had the cabbage it was very good but I just got to full too fast! Big portions ! Will be a regular stop when we travel through NC. It had a low key casual decor but bright and cheerful. Service was just right, attentive but not looking to be my best friend.

RememberWilber's from way back. Best! Time has a way of changing things! This time my wife and I were passing through and I led her to Wilber's. Oops! BBQ was dry, fries were not hot, etc. Might be another 20 years...!

Worst place ever. Cannot keep food stocked. Worst management. Nothing like it used to be when Wilber's owned it

Great BBQ, excellent sides. Worth the trip and excellent service plus great east Carolina sauces . Clean ambiance , friendly staff , easy parking , reasonable prices . Hard to beat .

Good ol fashion diner with flavorful food. The service was outstanding at our table and what I saw throughout. The place was clean and had plenty of space to sit at the bar or have a large group table. I had the turkey bbq, slaw and beans. There were sandwiches and plenty of side options on the menu. Definitely a place to visit and eat again.

I was thrown off by the line for pickup orders but there is indoor dining here and what a great find en route driving towards home. The baby back ribs were the best I've had so far! The meat was a good firm bite-cooked well and not over cooked. The crust formed on top from the bbq sauce can only compare to Chinese spare ribs but way tastier and way more meat. The sides were fried okra, collard greens and hush puppies. The gravy for the hush puppies was downright drinkable! Chicken gravy heaven there. I'm a big fan!