Roadside BBQ along I-95 (NC/SC/GA)

[plove53]

Hello,

I’m from the north and say I do not know GOOD BBQ-lol. Soooo for the first time I’m driving down to Florida VIA I-95. Where are GOOD roadside BBQ off of I-95? We will be staying in the Savannah area for one night (so around there is good)

Thanks for any help.

-p

[wb247]

A food trip down I95 would be simply wasted if you don't bring a cooler and stop at Smith's Red and White, just outside of Rocky Mount, NC. Take the Red Oak/Dortches exit and go east. (This would be NC43.) Turn left at the light and the store is just ahead on the right. This is all less than a mile off of I95. Go in and go to the pork counter at the back of the store. There, you can purchase fresh-made link sausage in either a hot or mild variety. If it's not hands-down the best sausage you've ever had, then you've been spoiled with some pretty exceptional sausage.

[Deer Aint Peggy]

Can't speak for SC, but NC BBQ is somewhat unique. It is pulled pork that was basted in vinegar while cooking the whole pig (this leeches out a lot of the fat) and, once pulled has red peper chopped up in it (not particularly spicy hot). Goes great in a sandwich with cole slaw. Watch I-95 signs for Smithfield Chicken n' BBQ. It is a chain, but all are consistently good. Their fried chicken is also excellent. If I'm trying to be good, I pull the skin off the chicken before eating it -- still mighty good.

[Jgrice242]

BC Steak & BBQ located at 829 Radford Blvd Dillon, SC 29536
They have a great buffet with really good Q and the price is fair. You may also want to try Swetteys BBQ located at 1219 Radford Blvd Dillon, SC 29536 (right down the street). I believe both of these are located off the first exit past South of the Border very convenient to I-95.

BC Steak & BBQ [phone]
Swetteys BBQ [phone]

[Leronis]

Petersburg, VA has some of the finest bbq you will ever eat at King's BBQ #2. It's off of the Wagner Road exit. http://www.kingsfamousbarbecue.com/ Classic Carolina BBQ cooked over wood for a not-to-be-duplicated smoky flavor - get it minced - and you must have the cole slaw - the best we've ever had. The baked beans are great, with a generous dollop of meat incorporated, and the potato cakes are wonderful (ask for them as a sub for fries). Be sure to buy some sauce to take with you, as you'll want to taste it again and again.

If you run into traffic on !-95 and choose to take US-301 instead, look for Johnny Boy's Ribs in La Plata, MD. It's a roadside stand with outdoor seating only. Their forte is sliced pork sandwiches - wonderful and quite unique! Piles of thinly sliced pork bbq stacked high on a bun - get it with cole slaw on top and add your sauce of choice (regular or hot). Despite the name of the place, we don't recommend the ribs - to be fair, we got them carry-out, so they might be much better if you eat them there. The collard greens are quite good, as are the boardwalk fries. http://www.johnnyboysribs.com/

[alkapal]

leronis, do they do a daily smoked fish at king's?

[Leronis]

No smoked fish at King's. They do BBQ pork, beef and chicken, but the pork BBQ is what they're really all about. They also do BBQ turkeys at Thanksgiving. They used to smoke venison for hunters until the health department made them stop.

[Guilty Gourmand]

Ralph's BBQ in Roanoke Rapids / Weldon, NC is just off of I-95 past the VA / NC border. It is not my favorite in the state but it has pretty good, consistent cue as well as other fine southern food and is hard to beat convenience-wise. They have a big buffet during regular dining hours but I often order off the menu for more freshly prepared stuff if is not real crowded / high turnover.

[EricDC]

Hank's off I-95 just south of Richmond VA is good; I ate there yesterday. About 50 miles from the NC state line. They do NC-style BBQ - Pork, very vinegary sauce. They do have chopped BBQ, but the sliced BBQ is even better. $3.29 for a small sandwich or $6.99 for the large on a kaiser with fries.

[toolprincess]

Ralphs has decent BBQ and if you get the buffett you can also get pulled pork and fried chicken. I adore their slaw -- finely chopped and slightly sweet (mayo based). They do have a nice selection of southern style vegetables also.

[kriscolby]

We went to Ralphs for the first time a couple weeks ago. Good BBQ, better Fried Chicken, and this incredible desert called "Banana Bites". Fried nuggets of banana pudding and brown sugar. Wow. Didn't eat again for days but it was worth it...

[griddlegirl]

The Georgia Pig is right off 95, exit 29, in Brunswick GA. It's a small shack just past a fast food something or other. We stopped there this past May on a drive back to Boston. It was quite good.

[mark]

i tried the ga pig a year or so ago. the q itself was decent, especially given that's it right off the highway. the sides, however, including the bun, were bad; obviously straight from the can/food service stuff.

there's a bbq chain (sonny's? - i think it's a fla chain that has expanded into ga) that you start seeing signs for a bit before the ga pig turnoff. they have better sides, although they're still not great, than the ga pig. if i were going to stop at the ga pig again, i'd first stop at sonny's for sides, etc, then go on to the ga pig for the q. then make a picnic somewhere. i'm pretty sure you could get everything within a couple exits.

[bbqme]

Lot of folks turn their nose up at Sonny's because it's a chain. While I like to support the local mom and pop places, Sonny's is a good BBQ joint as chains go. We always stop and eat at Sonny's in the Brunswick GA area on our way down to FL.

[mark]

sonny's q was ok, but i thought ga pig was a bit better, at least for the stores around brunswick. i've eaten at some of the older sonny's in fla, and the q was pretty good.

[beteez]

In Brunswick the bast cue is twin oaks, but it is fairly far from 95. You can go around a mile north of Sonny's & find Allens which is superior to Sonnis or Ga Pig. If coming from the south get off at the sonnys exit & travel north past sonnys & Allens will be on your right. Go north from Allens to the light & take a righ & it will take you back to 95 next exit north.

[Soup]

Sonny's may be my favorite chain resturant. That texas toast is awesome. I love Sonny's ribs. Never had a bad one. They been from good to excellent. Usually very meaty and certainly a good hint of smoke. I also like the fact that the ribs has a bit a a "pull" to them. I don't like fall of the bone ribs (never understood why people go nuts for fall of the bone ribs, isn't it over cooked at that point?)

[alkapal]

ga. pig is ok. pulled pig OK, sausage greasy (and probably not made there or even in area...). stuff reheated. wouldn't go back. sonny's all vary. some are great, some not so great...

fuller's in lumberton was an awesome experience, and their fresh veggies this summer were tremendous!. actually of the meats/fish, the little stuffed deviled crabs were the absolute tastiest. i wish i had scaled back on even small portions of some of the other things, like the chicken or fried fish for those little deviled crabs thingies! even worth skipping the so-so desserts.

[JGsped]

Johnny Harris' is a Savannah institution. I've never tried bit, but when my mother lived there it was her barbecue pit of choice, and she knew 'cue. I've heard recently some comments that it was living on its reputation, but others say it is as good as ever. Probably worth a try.

Other Savannah places that get a lot of favorable comments are Walls' and Angel's.

[bkhuna]

Johnny Harris' is more like 45 minutes or more from I-95. The food is good if you happen to be in Savannah, but I don't think I would classify it as "off I95".

[meatn3]

Fuller's in Lumberton is convenient to I95. This is in NC a little north of the SC line. I always do the buffet. This will give you a nice selection of southern cooking & NC style bbq!

http://www.realpagessites.com/fullers...

[Tom from Raleigh]

I hit Fuller's last summer and it was an excellent mix of 'Q and southern food. I'd also suggest Wilber's in Goldsboro, NC. It may be a bit of a drive off I 95, but it's well worth it as the 'Q at Wilber's defines the eastern style

[rossgrady]

Wilber's is no longer the bastion of fine BBQ that it once was. The Q I had there last month was tired-tasting, mushy, and overly vinegary, as though it had been sitting for a while. The rumor 'round here was that they'd cut back to smoking just 2 days a week, which might explain that.

Here's a link to my trip report, which also covers two places in Wilson, Parker's and Bill's . . . Wilson is just a hop-skip-and-jump off of I-95: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/435362

[lowboy]

Ross,

Whatever happened to the "Pork Palace" on South Saunders St. in Raleigh. It was near the Purina plant. My NCSU suite mates and I used to eat there at least once a week back in the early 70s.

[PeterB]

You will be traveling through eastern NC on I95 which has its own tradition and style of bbq: slow cooked pork chopped and seasoned with a spicy vinegar sauce (no tomato involved). A sandwich typically comes with coleslaw. I don't know the joints along I 95 that well but I would take a chance on anything that looks interesting. There is a local chain called Smithfield's that has decent eastern NC 'cue. Be sure to enjoy it with some sweet ice tea. Just ask for "tea" and that's what you'll get.