10 North Carolina BBQ Buffets That Have Become A Way Of Life In These Towns
In North Carolina, barbecue isn’t just food; it’s a way of life, and these buffet spots prove it. Smoky ribs, tender pulled pork, and tangy sauces pile high, inviting diners to savor every bite.
Locals gather around tables that are as much about community as they are about flavor.
Each buffet tells a story of tradition, craftsmanship, and pride, turning a simple meal into a ritual that defines towns across the state.
1. Fuller’s Old Fashioned Bar-B-Q — Fayetteville, NC
Family recipes dating back generations make Fuller’s a true Fayetteville treasure.
The massive buffet line stretches with everything from pulled pork to fried chicken, but locals know to save room for their legendary banana pudding.
Military families from nearby Fort Bragg have made this place their traditional celebration spot for decades. Weekend lines often wrap around the building, but nobody seems to mind the wait.
2. McCall’s BBQ & Seafood — Goldsboro, NC
Smoke billows from McCall’s pits around the clock, perfuming half the town with that unmistakable hickory scent.
Their buffet marries eastern NC vinegar-based pork with fresh-caught seafood from the coast, creating a land-and-sea experience unique to this region.
Regulars swear by the hush puppies, which arrive at your table in endless baskets. The restaurant’s walls showcase decades of community history through faded photographs and local memorabilia.
3. Gardner’s Barbecue (Flagship 301) — Rocky Mount, NC
Truckers pull their rigs into Gardner’s massive parking lot at all hours, knowing good BBQ doesn’t follow a clock.
The 301 location has been dishing out eastern-style whole hog since 1972, with a buffet that locals consider the benchmark for authentic Carolina ‘cue.
Sweet tea comes in glasses big enough to baptize a baby in. Their cornbread is so beloved that the recipe remains under lock and key, guarded as fiercely as any family heirloom.
4. Sims Country Bar-B-Que — Granite Falls, NC
Friday nights at Sims transform into a full-blown mountain heritage celebration.
Between plates of western-style BBQ, locals take to the wooden dance floor for clogging while bluegrass bands play on the small stage.
The buffet showcases western NC’s tomato-based sauce philosophy.
Four generations of the Sims family work the restaurant, from grandpa manning the pits to grandkids refilling your drinks with genuine mountain hospitality.
5. Ron’s Barn Barbecue & Seafood — Coats, NC
Ron’s actually is a barn, a massive, converted tobacco barn that now houses one of Johnston County’s most beloved buffets.
The ceiling beams still show the char from tobacco curing, now mingling with BBQ smoke. Brunswick stew bubbles in cast iron pots big enough to bathe in.
Local farmers gather here after market days, their weathered hands passing baskets of Ron’s famous cornbread while trading crop predictions for the season.
6. Carolina BBQ & Chicken — Roanoke Rapids, NC
Lunch rush at Carolina BBQ resembles a town meeting more than a meal service.
Tables fill with everyone from bank presidents to factory workers, all abandoning workplace hierarchies for the democracy of good barbecue.
Their chicken pastry (what non-locals might call chicken and dumplings) has stopped family feuds.
The buffet’s mac and cheese achieves that perfect crispy-top-creamy-inside balance that has customers scraping the bottom of the pan.
7. Doug Sauls’ Bar-B-Que & Seafood — Nashville, NC
Politicians making campaign stops through eastern NC know Doug Sauls is mandatory if they want local votes.
The restaurant’s parking lot fills with everything from farm trucks to luxury sedans, united by the pursuit of perfect pulled pork.
Their collards cook with ham hocks the size of softballs.
Sunday after church sees three generations of families gathering around tables, passing hushpuppies and debating nothing more controversial than whether to get seconds or save room for cobbler.
8. King’s Restaurant — Kinston, NC
Before chef Vivian Howard put Kinston on the culinary map, King’s was already local royalty.
Their buffet has expanded over 75 years from simple BBQ to a full eastern Carolina spread that draws tour buses from across state lines.
The restaurant survived devastating floods that nearly wiped out downtown.
Locals tell time by King’s landmarks: “That happened the year King’s added the seafood section” or “That was before King’s built the new dining room.”
9. Robbins Nest — Selma, NC
Railroad workers founded Selma, and they still pack Robbins Nest during shift changes.
The buffet operates on small-town timing, when the freight train whistles, staff brings out fresh trays of barbecue chicken.
Their sweet potato casserole crosses into dessert territory with its pecan crust.
Hand-written signs above the buffet announce daily specials in Mrs. Robbins’ distinctive cursive, unchanged since she first opened in 1978 after winning the county fair BBQ competition three years running.
10. Leon Nixon Catering (in-house buffet) — Edenton, NC
Technically a catering hall, Leon Nixon opens to the public for Friday lunch buffets that have become Edenton’s unofficial town hall.
The historic waterfront building houses long tables where judges break bread with fishermen over some of the state’s best whole-hog BBQ.
Their cornbread salad, a layered creation somewhere between stuffing and salad, sparks fierce devotion.
Nixon himself still works the room at 82, remembering everyone’s grandparents and keeping alive cooking techniques that predate electricity.