Skylight Inn
Chopped Pork
Slaw
Cornbread
Located in Ayden North Carolina, a town of just under 5000, and serving up what many have called the best North Carolina style whole pig barbecue since it was known as Pete Jones BBQ one could say that Skylight Inn is one of those places that needs to be experienced in order to be understood, and traveling to Raleigh from Virginia Beach “The Capital of Barbecue” turned out to be everything that was promised – all along a small residential roadside, beneath a white dome, with fields and a collard greens stand nearby.
Small in size, with rickety tables and modest décor consisting largely of local photos and a few awards, our arrival at Skylight Inn occurred just steps behind a small party of locals as well as officers from the State Highway Patrol, and waiting our turn in line as country music was interrupted by the “chop, chop, chop” of cleavers behind the counter the ordering process was simple – one plate of chopped pork beneath a layer of slaw and savory cornbread, two unsweetened teas, and another wedge of cornbread bagged to go.
Featuring Chicken on weekends, and ribs as well as porkrinds in limited quantities, but largely focused on the old adage “do one thing and do it right,” it should probably go without saying that with 50+ years in the business and crowds gathering for such a small menu the pork is indeed “destination worthy” meat and with light vinegar notes pleasantly balanced by the sweet slaw an ample amount of crispy skin adds plenty of crunch and brine to each bite while the protein itself is smooth, supple, and moist without being ‘wet,’ a similar statement applicable to the toothsome cornbread which features a slight flex before it breaks – a best bite made by a drizzle of Texas Pete, a bit of slaw, and plenty of meat eaten sandwich style between a halved slice.
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