Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q

Food outstandingService could not have been any better Ambiance loved especially all the movie posters

We had another famous North Carolina fried chicken chain down in Florida for a while before moving here to the Smithfield area and until recently they were the high-water mark for Southern fried goodness. But no longer.Smithfield's Chicken and Barbecue is by far the best fried chicken I have ever had from any chain. They even dethrone the reigning champ, as it is no longer "Bo time" for me when the thought of fried chicken first crosses my mind.Pro-tip: You absolutely must try the Brunswick Stew. You'll be thankful you did. I am craving it just typing about it.The hush puppies are also fantastic and among the best I have found. They go great with the tartar sauce(strange combo but trust me, it works.)Looking forward to trying the pulled pork on the next visit. The next of MANY future visits, that is.

UPDATE: October 2024: visited this location again and didn't think it was the previous location. I believe this location has been rebuilt or remodeled. I remember it being an older building. This one was very new and updated. Anyway, food was just as good as I remember. Still got the BBQ platter with coleslaw and potato salad. Food was good but it wasn't quite as good as I wanted. It had a new, "recipe followed" taste instead of that down home, made-by-memory taste. Didn't detract from anything just something I noticed.

Good food at a very reasonable price. It is a win win. The service was excellent. The parking was easy and close to the building. Everything went right with the visit. I will be back on any road trip on I95

If you're craving some Southern BBQ comfort, look no further! This place was absolutely perfect. Inexpensive and a nice taste of the south. 10/10 recommend!

Smithfield Chicken 'n Bar-B-Q is home cooking every day.When you enter Smithfield Chicken 'n Bar-B-Q you would think you are entering a small fast-food restaurant here in Smithfield. You step inside and see the counter where you go to order what you would like to eat. The menu is on the counter and up in front of you.There is a person at the window which will take your order, answer your questions, make recommendations and assist you in a way that will make it easy for you. There is not a long list of selections to choose from. There is a small amount to choose from. You can have a sandwich. Or maybe a plate. You can have just chicken or maybe just shredded pork. There is even a combination to try.When you order a plate you will also receive hushpuppies, coleslaw and potato salad. This is all freshly made that day. This is not from the freezer or from the week before. This is made in the evening and ready for you the following day. Smithfield will cook overnight every night for 14 hours and the pork is then hand pulled and tossed every morning.There is not the biggest selection, but the choices are fine. It is what you would like to have when you are there. And like the side dishes, everything is freshly made the day you are there. The chicken is cooked and is available for the hour. If any is left it is going to be used the next day for the homemade Brunswick Stew. And this is truly homemade right there by the cook.For us we ordered the plate combo. We had our chicken and our pork. You can have your choice of white chicken or dark chicken or boneless tenders. We had a little of each. To go with this you even have your selection of a good bbq sauce if you want. On the table is more traditional Eastern North Carolina bbq sauce including the vinegar based style that is what you would find in every home in the area. It is a taste you would not find in other states. It is from this region. It will add a flavor you will enjoy.Once you make your order, and what beverage you might want with the meal you pay the cashier. That is it. After what you order the prices are not expensive. Especially when you see what you receive. The meal is greater than the price you pay for this.We took our drinks and sat at a table to wait as they recommended. Once we settled in they brought over our meals. It was that fast. They brought everything we ordered including the special sauces we wanted to try. They provided everything and were always available if you had any questions. Once they left it was time to begin.And how do you begin.This was not a small plate. It was filled with everything you ordered and presented like we would receive if you were sitting in their kitchen at home. It was huge.The smell was first. You knew it was just made, It was fresh. It had the smell of a good fried chicken and real pork that was made that morning. It was a true bbq. It also came with everything they had mentioned that would come with it. There was the home-made coleslaw and potato salad. It was not your standard type you might expect from a deli or from another chain restaurant. This was made as they would normally make it if you were in their kitchen and learning how it is done. This was at the right temperature. Not hot. Not cold. And a taste that was the best with each bite you took. Moist. Juicy. Just the right amount of spice to make it a good compliment to the dish itself.Don't forget the hushpuppies. These are the best. I have had them before but this time it was soft and moist and sweet and perfect. It came with the meal, but I could have this alone as a dessert with tea or coffee. It was perfect with this meal.With each bite I took I never knew where to begin. Start with the chicken and then the pork. Or start with the pork and then some chicken. It did not matter. The extra bbq sauce they offered was a good match to the chicken. I put the special vinegar that was created here in Smithfield to compliment the pork. It was ideal for this meal. There is no rush to eat. You can take your time and enjoy it as you move along.Smithfield is an interesting place. You might pass by the place and stop in when you are hungry. You think it is fast and typical of a fast chain. But when you get inside you realize you are home. That is the way you are treated. That is the way you eat with what they have to offer at that time.We offer all menu items all the time, except in rare instances as mentioned before with the bbq.Whether you are hungry for lunch or dinner, Smithfield is the place to step in and enjoy home cooking. It is made like you would have if you visited someone's house. The taste is great. The choices are ideal. The price is something you can afford. And the team is like being with someone you know.Next time I am at Smithfield I already know what I will have and what I want to try. Even the leftovers the next day are great and taste well. It is the same as what you expect. Welcome home!

I didn't have time to stray far from 95 for my favorite local joints, so I'm glad that Smithfield's, while a chain, serves up respectable, zingy NC barbecue. I got the regular plate not the large, but it was more than adequately sized, a fine deal at $8.99 that included hush puppies, cole slaw and potato salad. The Brunswick stew seemed a shade too sweet.

I would highly recommend one location if you ever want the best experience eating at Smithfield chicken and barbecue you would have to come to this pacific location. Make sure you talk to Ms. Woodard and asked for the chicken tender and fries plate. It was amazing meeting such hospitality and cleaning this in that restaurant they have showed that they are way better than any restaurant I've ever been to. They put Chick-fil-A in question customer service. they are giving Chick-fil-A a run for their money in the best customer service. I'll give Smithfield the number one seed.

The food is consistently good; my favorite is the barbecue pork but the fried chicken is good as well. Service is always prompt & courteous. They don't seem to do quite as well coming around to give refills of their wonderful iced tea as they used to but they always have it ready if you go up to ask for it. The atmosphere is clean & relaxing but not quite the nostalgic throwback as it was in their old building. It's a nice meal out!!

Food was too salty. I couldn't even get thru eating a thigh! There was do much salt after cooking it was all over my fingers. more breading than chicken.