Revised Review of Smithfield's Chicken'N Bar-B-Q Many Locations Throughout N.C. SmithfieldsChicken.com H. Kent Craig ©2007

In the intervening years since my initial review of Smithfield's Chicken'N Bar-B-Q in the year 2000 (below) things have changed.

For one, and I freely admit to this, as I have become even more passionate about The Holy Grub and have devoted more time and effort to exploring, finding and reporting on different places, my barbecue culinary palate has become more refined, more selective and yes - an even more "accurate" barometer of what most folks would be in agreement with me. Also, I admit this humbly, while staying the course of being as honest as I can be when I write a review, I have relaxed more about the small stuff. Yes, I notice and report on the details as well as my overall impressions since it's attention to details that separates the good from the great at times but specifics not directly related to the quality of the food and service I no longer make a point about mentioning as I have sometimes in the past.

During the span of the past few years Smithfield's Chicken'N Bar-B-Q has also changed, all for the better which is why after much prayer and thought I have upgraded them from their former three pig rating to their well-deserved four pig "best of the best" rating.

During the span of these growth years for them, they've expanded into a huge chain of inside-the-border-of North Carolina restaurants and much to my surprise have managed not just to keep consistently good quality of barbeque and sides at every single one of their locations but managed to present great quality of fare no matter which location you visit or what time you stop by.

Folks, this is no small feat. It's been tried before, most notably when Jim Gardner bought the franchise rights to the Parker's Barbecue Of Wilson NC name and tried to expand it statewide in the 70's and failed pretty spectacularly and there have been other instances where an owner has tried to open another or two or three locations that they didn't have direct control over and because they couldn't be at all places at once to micromanage the operations eventually fell flat on their face as well and either went broke or went back to running just one location.

How Smithfield's has managed to find that "secret formula" of not needing an individual master BBQ chef at every single location and still produce true 4-pig 'cue at same-said every single location is beyond me and really, I don't care how they do it, I'm just glad they do.

As they've expanded into locations I more frequently pass by or near, most notably their locations in Zebulon NC and Siler City NC (I really wish they would open one in Cary and give Danny's some real competition) I've been eating there more often, at least a couple of times a month in total and sometimes even once or more a week depending on circumstances and again, their quality across all locations simply stays excellent and that's the hallmark of a best-of-the-best restaurant of any kind.

Their barbecue has evolved from being a somewhat fine chop to an enticing mix of mostly medium-to-large pull pork pieces with some chop mixed in for good measure. The reason their barbecue on its own deserves its new high rating is the fact they learned to "groom" their meat from burned pieces, undercooked pieces, pieces of pure fat with no meat, etc., and leave simply the meat itself. The meat itself has very little seasoning added, you have to look to find any red pepper bits in it and has almost all fat and grease cooked out of it while still being moist enough for flavor but not too much as to be distracting. Their sides such as cole slaw and potato salad and their shoestring fries are all quite good as are their consistently very good thumb-sized hushpuppies which are correctly fried but never overburned.

Both my dear 82-year-old mother and well, younger wife than that (Smile) who are both excellent Southern cooks in their own respective rights and who both love really good fried chicken said they both were going to shoot me if I didn't mention the fact the Smithfield's also has some of the very best fried chicken that either/both of them have ever had, so if you like chicken (I don't eat it myself) you can't go wrong ordering a combination BBQ-and-chicken plate or just the chicken itself if you have to watch your cholesterol. And I also have to mention that my dear mother who's now in a rest home and has few things to look forward to except for company stopping by for a visit looks forward to my trips by Smithfield's not just to pick her up a combo plate but also to bring her a bag of their "skins" i.e. fried pork skins which she's eaten all her life and says theirs is equal to very best she's ever had, she savoring and making a bag of them last as snacks for days.

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{This is my original review from 2000}

Between the extremes of absolutely consistent near-perfection and the equally almost-always guaranteed awful of any genre of food lies the majority of what you'll usually find. Take Smithfield's Chicken & Bar-B-Q, for example. I'm giving it a three pig rating on a scale of 1-4 pigs, because the dozen or so times I've eaten there over the years it's always been better than pretty good. But with Bullock's BBQ in Durham being always exactly the same travel time and distance as Smithfield's from my home, where do you think I go, knowing how consistently superb Bullock's is?

To Bullock's, of course. Yet, when my brother from Tanzania came over last year to the States and to see me for Christmas, for the first time in some years, where did I take him to "turn him on" for his first taste of Eastern-NC-Style BBQ? You guessed it, Smithfield's, but mainly that was because we had spent most of the day near there at Revel's Tractor Company and were on our way back to Raleigh and we both were hungry not having eaten lunch and it was late and I knew that Smithfield's would serve better-than-average Eastern-NC-Style BBQ, and yes, he thoroughly enjoyed eating there, said it was quite good. You won't be disappointed when you go there. It won't knock your tastebuds into the next galaxy, but it'll be worth your time.

That's the thing about publicly offering your opinions about anything involving matters of personal taste, especially on the Internet, you really are subjecting yourself to be a potential flame target. Yet, I like what I like, and as someone who goes out of his way to try any new BBQ, who appreciates the culture and history involved, I feel I'm as qualified as anyone to offer my non-sous-chef opinions. I'm sure my giving Smithfield's Chicken & Bar-B-Q just three pigs instead of four will generate at least one or two heavy flames, they do have a very loyal local following, just as my expression of honest opinion about how godawful Allen & Son BBQ   in Chapel Hill is to me will generate a couple of flame-throws as well, but so be it, Smile.

Smithfield's Chicken & Bar-B-Q offers Eastern-NC-Style pork BBQ that is well-prepared, somewhat finely chopped, with the lightest of vinegar touches added, always served hot and fresh, with excellent hushpuppies and other sides and sweet ice tea so thick it's almost syrupy (a good thing!). Having a Garner NC (south of Raleigh) address, they seem like they're in Clayton (next town south of Garner) more than Garner, you can't miss them, they're right off/on Highway 70, plainly visible from the highway. Their phone number is 919-773-0774.

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