The Prime Smokehouse
The Prime Smokehouse
Beef Prime Brisket
Whole-Kernel Cornbread
Store front
Cajun gumbo (cup)
The bar and main dining room
Grilled & Chilled Shrimp Cocktail
Music stage
Brisket with collard greens and slaw
a group of people sitting around a table
outside
Stage
a mural of a jazz band
Live music
the interior of the building
Grilled shrimp
interior
outside
Indoor decor
Bbq Barbecue 3-Meat Combination Platter (Pick 3 different meat choices)
interior
Interior
Brisket with the Spanish Rice and Broccoli. Very thin cut but perfect. Tender and not dry. I would order it again. Prime Brisket
Dave W.
Aug 17, 2024
On our way to Florida, the restaurant was recommended by the staff member at our hotel, during check in. The restaurant is located in an old mill building in town that really cannot be understated. I wish we had been able to explore a little.It was a Wednesday evening, around 7pm and we did not have a reservation. the place was quite busy but we were seated almost immediately. Our bartender/waitperson, Teresa, was accommodating and knowledgeable of the menu.I chose the Seafood Gumbo, along with Mac n Cheese and Cole Slaw while my wife went with lighter fare and ordered a Caesar Salad along with Cole Slaw. After a long day we declined any dessert. The menu looked terrific and I hope to be able to stop in again.
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Audrey K.
Aug 26, 2024
Ordered brisket, macaroni and cheese and Spanish rice. It was ok.The brisket had a generous serving but sliced thin like roast beef and had a tomato based sauce on it.The macaroni and cheese had a thick cheese sauce on it. It was creamy, but very cheesy.The Spanish rice was served in a plastic bag. I wasn't sure if it was leftover frozen rice thawed in microwave.Initially I had to wait about 15 minutes to get my order taken. The waitress serving the table next to me, never looked my way. The waiter who took my order was polite and attentive.The new club is wonderful. Nice location and decor. A lot to choose from on the menu. Next time I want to try the gumbo. Also would be nice to serve a roll with meal. Cost of menu items were reasonable.
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Jan K.
Jul 6, 2024
The smoke called me back... we had a much more pleasant experience than ours 2 yrs ago when we drove 30 miles for takeout and discovered that they were not offering takeout service. This time we were in the area on business and thought, what the heck! Let's give it another try. This time we were pleasantly surprised when we were able to order takeout and the service and vibe were much better!It was midweek so it wasn't very busy, but there were certainly customers dining and grabbing food to go like us. Then to top it all off, the food was fabulous and smoky!
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Juanita Q.
Jun 30, 2024
Was looking for a lunch spot on our way from Maryland to Hilton Head, this was right in the middle. The area is super cute, historic and industrial at the same time. The building and restaurant looked really nice and clean. We had higher hopes for the food based on other Yelp reviews. My daughter and I shared the brisket plate, with the two sides of macaroni and cheese and au gratin potatoes. My husband got the Philly Brisket Cheesesteak. We were expecting more a typical Philly cheesesteak, but it was more like a drier steak sandwich with lettuce and tomato. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. The waitress seemed very nice but she could have provided better service. I asked if the brisket was moist or lean, and explained I liked moist much better than lean. She responded that based on some off phrase I didn't understand, that it was moist. Although the brisket was tender, it was lean, not moist and the portion was tiny. Yet the two sides were huge, portions were off. We had to ask for utensils after the food had arrived, and plates and water refills. I understand she seemed to be busy but these are simple things that shouldn't be asked for.BBQ/smoked food doesn't need to be fancy, it just needs to be good. We're not from the area so we'll probably not be back.
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Shelby A.
May 19, 2024
Found this gem right off 95 on our drive home, we got extremely lucky that on Saturday night we were able to be seated as walk ins without a reservation. This was outstanding from the moment we arrived. That southern charm and hospitality is there first off. We were luckily seated within maybe 10-15minutes of getting to the hostess stand. We were seated and our server took some time to get to us but they were extremely busy. We started off with the lump crab cakes and the MP made sense as it was all crab and almost no cake with a delicious dipping sauce. I ordered a small seafood gumbo and rice as I wasn't super hungry. The small portion I had was so filling I'm glad I didn't order the large portion. My boyfriend ordered the three meat platter and the brisket and ribs were phenomenal and well seasoned. We personally weren't fans of the pulled pork, I think it was the tangy sauce that came on it was why. The potatoes au gratin were absolutely amazing and worth every calorie. A must try side on their menu. The ginger yams were different and delicious. We were stuffed but our server talked us into the double churned ice cream that was made in house, it was amazing and we rolled out of this restaurant from our meal.
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C T.
Oct 12, 2024
Honestly don't know how this place is in business. Ordered steak medium rare and it came out deep red both times. Chef came out to argue with us that he temped the steak and basically told us we didn't know what we were talking about. Obviously full of himself as most chefs are. You're wrong and maybe check the calibration on your thermometer! The steak was blood red. That is rare.
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Paige E.
Aug 31, 2024
We loved the Prime Smokehouse. We met some family members in Rocky Mount and decided to try it. We were impressed with the decor, especially the tribute to jazz music. The owner's father was the great Ed Wiley, Jr. The brisket, catfish, and other entrees that we tried were all delicious, but the sides were absolutely amazing! We highly recommend the potatoes au gratin, mac & cheese, collard greens, potato salad, and Spanish rice. It was so nice to see different side items that are not always choices at other restaurants. We also tried the desserts. We had their chocolate cheesecake, almond cheesecake, and a peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream. They were fantastic too! Everyone there was so friendly. This restaurant is a short drive from The Triangle. They bring in jazz greats and have shows a few times a year. It's well worth the drive. We'll be back!
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Lori B.
Jan 3, 2024
A really good option right off of 95 if you're looking for some soul food. Additionally, the owner is a big Eagles fan, so we loved that!We had already eaten a few hours earlier at a Chick-fil-A so we weren't starving but because of the reviews, really wanted to try this restaurant. The jazz playing in the background was really nice and it would be lots of fun to go when they have live music. Of the items that we ordered, there were things that we really liked and then others we didn't like as much but that is simply because of personal preference not because it wasn't cooked well or correctly. I really liked the pulled beef which was like pot, roast, the horseradish, coleslaw, au gratin, potatoes, and other veggies. We didn't care for the pulled pork because of the vinegar base sauce.We definitely go back and would probably enjoy it even better if we were more hungry.
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Alvin B.
Sep 22, 2024
OMG, what a fantastic restaurant, the food and the setting. We had been driving from Asheville on our way to the Outer Banks and Rocky Mount was picked as our rest stop for the night. My wife is a vegetarian so we typically stay away from any restaurant with either "smokehouse" or "barbeque" in the name but especially if they are both present. But looking at the menu online, we saw enough veggie options including some seafood and vegetable lasagna. So we went and find a parking spot near the restaurant which is part of an old mill complex (Rocky Mount Mills that has been restored and now features restaurants, breweries, retail, and residences. It was the middle of the week, post Labor Day weekend, and was not busy. We were greeted instantly and shown to a table outside overlooking part of the river and mill. Waitress came over immediately and we got started on drinks. A pleasant surprise was when the owner came over to chat. Asking where we were from it turned out Mr. Ed Wiley had worked many years on Capitol Hill and knew all the neighborhoods my wife and I grew up in. So nice to have a touch of home as we had been on a two-week road trip. But you don't care about that! The food was superb. My wife said the black bean burger was the best she had ever, and she's had scores of them. I had eaten a large lunch so I opted for a real burger. Fantastic. Cooked perfectly as ordered (medium). I regret having no room for dessert. If you are ever in Rocky Mount, this IS the place to eat your lunch or dinner.
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Kelly T.
May 9, 2024
We were traveling through the state to Washington, DC, and got a room for the night in Rocky Mount. We looked online for a dinner restaurant and found good reviews for this place. Those reviews were right because this place was outstanding. It is located in the Rocky Mount Mills complex. There is plenty of parking, and the entire facility is very welcoming and cute. The restaurant has a very big and extensive menu. They have pasta dishes, seafood, and, of course, barbecue. We decided to share a three meat dinner, which came with two sides. We chose chicken, ribs, brisket, macaroni and cheese, and yams. Everything was outstanding. We even saved room for dessert and opted for the peach cobbler with ice cream on top. It was absolutely delicious. Service was great from our waiter, Christopher.
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