North Carolina > Ayden: The Skylight Inn


 

BMerrill

TVWBB Member
“Who cooks the best barbecue in the world? With more than a little sense of pride, Pete Jones, owner of the Skylight Inn, 4617 Lee Street, Ayden, NC (252) 746-4113 will tell you that he does. He will quickly add he believes this to be so because in 1979 National Geographic recognized The Skylight Inn as its choice for "Barbecue Capitol of the World". As a result of its new title, a replica of the US Capitol Dome was built atop the Skylight Inn. He says that every year or so since, National Geographic sends him a letter and tells him that in all of their travels, they have still found none better. It is whole hog cooked for 16 hours in a brick pit over Oak and Hickory coals. They serve only BBQ, Slaw, pan baked Corn Bread, and drinks. The real choice is the size of the tray or do you want a sandwich. The first known record of BBQ being served in NC can be traced thru the Jones family back to 1830.

http://www.ncbbqsociety.com/tr.../skylight_large.html
http://www.southernfoodways.or.../film/capitol_Q.html
http://vimeo.com/10256835
http://theeatenpath.com/2009/1...mes-howell-pit-cook/
 
The Skylight Inn is one of the meccas of NC barbecue that I have not yet tried. At 200+ miles, it's a little too far to make a special trip and Ayden isn't really on the way to anywhere I normally go. But it's still on my wish list.
 
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This is how they serve the Pork Platter at Skylight Inn. Decent barbecue, but I marked it down for the poor job of picking out fat and gristle from the mix. The slaw was unremarkable and the corn slab was pretty nasty, hard with no sweetness and a rancid oil flavor.

Skylight was rated #3 out of the 4 barbecue stops we made a week ago on Saturday by 3 of the 4 in our party. The fourth member of the group rated Skylight tops.

Also see B's BBQ and Jack Cobb's.
 
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