We arrived in Raleigh early Saturday morning the day before Alexander’s baptism. Not wanting to deal with sub par airport food again, we had skipped breakfast so we were pretty hungry by the time we got to my brother’s house. After settling in and having some quality nephew snuggling time, we headed out to Smokey’s BBQ Shack for an early lunch.
Smokey’s is the Carolina barbecue place that my brother wanted to take us to the first time we were in Raleigh but it was closed that weekend for Labor Day. The hours of operation are pretty sparse, as the restaurant mostly caters to the work lunch crowd. They do usually open on Saturdays from 11-7 so we were in luck this time.
The restaurant is basically a little shack/hut on the side of the road that has a lot of character. There are lots of funny signs posted everywhere, as well as some interesting decorations on the walls.
Just some of the "character" of the restaurant
We ordered at the counter in the back, got some soda from the dispensers, and settled at a table to wait for our food. It came pretty quickly, as the meats are smoked for hours beforehand. Josh and I both got the Smokey’s Sampler because we wanted to try all the meats offered. The sampler came with pulled pork, beef brisket, chicken wings, and a large rib.
Chicken wings and pulled pork
It also included hush puppies (the same kind that we had last time I think) and a side dish.
Crispy hush puppies
The sauces are served in squeeze bottles on the table and included a Carolina vinegar-based sauce and a slightly spicy barbecue sauce. We found that mixing both sauces together was the best way to go, as it made a smoky, sweet, and tangy combination that we doused all of our meats with.
Smokey's bbq sauce
All of the meat was tender, a little bit smoky, and very very good. My favorite was the rib, which was falling off the bone and had just the right amount of fat mixed in with the meat to make it really succulent.
Meaty and fatty rib and tender brisket
For our sides, we opted for macaroni and cheese, which was pretty standard. The sauce was rich and thick but I missed having a crunchy topping to provide some textural contrast.
Macaroni and cheese
Our other side dish was Brunswick stew, which was a much better version than the one we had at Danny’s BBQ. This version actually had meat in it and was much thicker and richer. It had a nice tomato base and didn’t have any of the canned quality that marred the previous version we had.
Brunswick stew
I definitely thought that Smokey’s BBQ was far superior to the other Carolina barbecue we had, and I liked the casual home-y atmosphere. It’s just sad that the hours are so sporadic, but it’s worth the effort to get there while it’s open. Portions are generous and nothing costs over $10, making it a pretty good bargain. Though the menu isn’t extensive, it covers all the basic barbecue items and sides, and the food they produce is well prepared and comforting. I definitely recommend coming here if you’re ever in this neck of the woods.
Smokey’s BBQ Shack
10800 Chapel Hill Rd.
Morrisville, NC
Tags: BBQ, North Carolina, Pork, Ribs