I-95

Location

Betty Womble from Sanford tells me that busloads of folks ride over from Sanford to see the famous Christmas lights in Meadow and then stay to eat at Meadow Village. She raves about the seafood and the homemade desserts. “The chocolate pie is to die for; it’s delicious. And there is a really nice salad bar.” Village Meadow’s owners, Julia Raynor and her son Timmy are proud of their low prices—a little over six dollars for the lunch buffet and about ten dollars for the huge spreads in the evening and on Sunday at noontime.

Hrs: Sun., Tues., Wed., 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Thurs.-Sat. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

(Closed Mon.)

Location

If you want to experience small town eastern North Carolina the way it used to be stop by the Broadnax Diner for a meal as I did one Saturday morning. Owners, Johnnie and Carolyn Lassiter were working hard behind the counter trying to keep up with the hungry crowd of customers and fixed me a “big breakfast” with eggs, bacon, sausage, and hash browns while I learned about the prospects for the corn and peanut crops from a local farmer. The Lassiters bought the restaurant about 12 years ago from the family of Seaboard’s mayor, Melvin Broadnax. Their only request, according to Carolyn Lassiter, “was that we keep the name, which we have been proud to do.”

Hrs: Mon.- Fri., 6 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Sat., 6 a.m.-11 a.m.

Location

I love Ralph’s barbecue and Brunswick stew and hush puppies and banana pudding. But sometimes I like variety and quantity. That is why I timed my visit to Ralph’s at suppertime when the buffet line was open. At lunchtime, after 5 p.m., and all day Saturday and Sunday, you can sample the country vegetables, fried chicken, barbecue, and other meats. Ralph and Mason Woodruff started Ralph’s back in 1946; today the restaurant is run by Mason’s daughter, Kim Amerson.

Hrs: Daily, 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

Location

Judging from the long line of folks waiting to eat at Gardner’s Barbecue #1 the last time I was there, it is still a great place to visit and eat. Inside, most customers were eating all they wanted, choosing either to go through a buffet line or to be served family style at the table. As good and plentiful as the food is, there is more to Gardner’s than just eating. The lively red-and-white table coverings are just part of the reason it is so bright and cheerful. People there smile at each other — and at strangers. Somehow, it is more like a church supper than a restaurant. When the cash register attendants were too busy counting money to talk to me, Gloria Davis, the assistant manager, took me under her wing and answered all my questions. She told me that her boss Gerry Gardner, brother of former Congressman and Lt. Governor Jim Gardner, maintains the long family association with this country cooking institution.

Location

Parker’s cooking method — mostly gas-cooked barbecue — causes some controversy: Can it meet the standards of the barbecue purist? I agree with the barbecue experts who simply overlook the gas-cooked controversy and make their judgments based on the results, and you should, too. Eric Lippard, one of the managers of Parker’s, reminded me, “It is still pit-cooked barbecue, and there aren’t enough trees in North Carolina to cook it all.”

Hrs: Daily, 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

Location

Bill’s Barbecue and Chicken Restaurant is a part of the Bill Ellis mega-complex that takes up a city block. A catering business, a separate building for take-out food, and a meeting center surround the restaurant. At the buffet you can get barbecue with fixings, as well as a plate full of country vegetables, fried chicken, and other meats. Next time, I’m going to fast for a day or two before I go back to Bill’s, just to be sure I have room for the pudding and cobbler.

Hrs: Tues.- Thurs.11 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Fri- Sat., 11 a.m.-9p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Closed on Monday

Location

Maybe you think Wilber’s Barbecue doesn’t belong — no matter how good it is — because it’s too far from the interstate. Goldsboro is almost 30 miles from I-95. You will have to budget an extra 30 plus minutes to get there and the same amount of time to get back. So why am I including Wilber’s? Here’s the reason: I would go a long way out of my way to eat with Wilber Shirley. The food is great — especially the barbecue and fried chicken. The experience of eating at Wilber’s should not be denied to any North Carolinian.

Location

The White Swan in Smithfield is an old-time barbecue place, just like the roadhouses of days gone by. Lynwood Parker owns and runs the White Swan along with the adjoining motel and an accounting business, as well as being very active in the political life of Johnston County. Bob Garner brags about the White Swan’s barbecue in his book, North Carolina Barbecue: Flavored By Time. Barbecue is their specialty, but there is great fried chicken, Brunswick stew, and ribs. The restaurant is not fancy, and it is not big. A lot of its business is done at the counter, with folks coming in to get an order to take out. When I sat down and placed my order of barbecue and slaw, my meal was delivered to the table in less than a minute, along with a helping of some of the best hush puppies I ever ate.

Hrs: Mon.-Wed., 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.; Thurs.-Sat., 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Sun., 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Location

Just down the road from the White Swan, I found the Holt Lake Bar-B-Que and Seafood. Brothers Kevin and Terry Barefoot serve wonderful family-style meals almost all day long. You can order from the menu, but, if you have my kind of appetite, you will want to eat family style, which is available if you have at least four people in your group. Believe me, it is worth a special trip for the barbecue and fried chicken; and, if you’re willing to pay a little bit more, you can add shrimp and fish to your choices.

Hrs: Mon., 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Tues.-Sat., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Location

Sad News! This wonderful little eatery closed in early 2009.

Annie McHone has been running the restaurant for almost 20 years, preparing a buffet table of country vegetables and meats. The restaurant is only open on weekends, but all of the customers sing the praises of McHone and the food she prepares. “It’s all good,” her customers tell me when I press them to reveal their favorites. McHone herself tells me that she thinks her banana pudding is about as good as anything she makes. But another diner interrupts us and says, “Oh no, that peach cobbler you make is the best around here.” In addition to the buffet, McHone has a small but varied menu of seafood, vegetables, steak, barbecued chicken, and other specialties.

Hrs: Fri., 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Sat., 3-8:30 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.