A James Beard award and some of the best whole hog cooking around. Skylight Inn offers the unique eastern NC BBQ experience that only necessity and tradition can delivery.
Ayden It Is!
Skylight Inn is found not in the sky but in Ayden NC. The rural roadside restaurant is not hard to spot. The massive sign celebrating 70 years of business make it hard to miss. Luckily, you are not far from the NC 11 Bypass so it is easy to make Skylight Inn a quick stop during your travels through Eastern NC. One of our other favorite near by attractions is Nauti Dog Brewing in nearby Winterville.
Parking is modest. The unstructured gravel parking lot makes it a little confusing as to where acceptable parking areas are. If you drive too far back in your quest for parking, you will be stopped by the marquis wood piles used for the smokers. There are no viable alternatives besides some very ill-advised street parking. I have been in near gridlock more than once in this parking lot so be careful.
Come On….. Inn!
The choice ambiance is exactly what you would expect from a small town roadside diner. You would never expect that this humble establishment has won multiple national and internationally recognized awards including a James Beard Foundation award.
Outside the front door, you will find the line to the registers. The word has gotten out so this line is often snaking outside. Service is quick and rivaling most Chick-fil-A’s. The line is truly just massive most days during lunch.
The one odd part about the order counter is this large wooden board that the prepared pork is kept on. It is in this what is otherwise a normal pass-thru between the kitchen area and the front counter. You will easily see this when you get to the front to order. It is one of the last steps to make sure the pork is finely chopped but also serves as a great serving area too.
Everything is obviously health inspector approved but this struck me as a very interesting relic showing the history of this 70+ year old establishment. In a word, neat.
The clientele here is largely retirees and locals who are in-the-know. The retirees seemed to use the dinning room area the most. Everyone was friendly but everyone expected you to move quickly since everyone was hungry.
I noticed what appeared to be a fresh produce stand in the parking lot but have not had the time to check them out. I cannot put my finger on exactly why, but it makes sense for this to be next to this illustrious Eastern NC establishment.
The Whole Hog You Have Been Waiting For
Naturally, I got the pork BBQ. The menu is one of the more simple arrangements I have seen to date. Small, medium, large and sandwich are the portion sizes your can get your pork in. They do offer Chicken or “Yard Bird” if you are interested but I absolutely recommend the pork. It seems fitting that you can also order you meat in bulk also.
If you order dine-in then you will get your food on a modest black tray. All the food is served in simple food boats. I ordered a medium and could not help but think “I am going to need more than that to be full” when I saw the portion size. Oddly enough, I was stuffed before I was at the last bite. The best I can guess is that there is some kind of visual perception trick between the large tray and the tighly packed food boat.
Sides and Sauce
I have to admit I was not a fan of the slaw by itself but generally, I do not slaw. I did love their potato salad as a side. With such a simple menu they have to make sure the majority of their food is going to keep people coming back. Is this a super elaborate “have it your way” type of menu? No. But unless you are allergic to pork (which Kaitlyn is unfortunately) you will probably love the tastes you find.
There are two main sauces available. One is the original Skylight in BBQ sauce that has been served at this location for many decades. The other is a new option from the Sam Jones Restaurant. The grandson of the Skylight Inn founder still runs this place but also opened his own restaurant. You can find the Sam Jones Restaurant in Downtown Raleigh and near Winterville. I was partial to the more acidic Skylight Inn BBQ but that is admittedly a preference.
Heritage and Whole Hog
As a native North Carolinian, I am always proud to see an aspect of my home state’s heritage not only being successful but also popular. Skylight Inn is just such a place. I was really struck by just how unique of a place this was when I was able to listen to the interview on the home page of their website. Highly recommend it.
Overall
Eastern NC is known for so many things but the BBQ that you find at Skylight Inn is probably one of my favorite places besides Cape Lookout. The simple approach to amazing meat makes the whole experience very approachable and one that I love including in my day when I can. Worth checking out!
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