Grady’s Barbecue

Quality wood smoked ‘Que with an eastern NC sauce. The sauce is vinegar based with a little bit of sweet flavor. We had a BBQ and slaw sandwich and it did not disappoint. We splurged with an extra $ 1 and bought a piece of fried chicken just to have s taste. It was great. Grady’s is a really cool place that reflects what a BBQ joint should look like and it should be a destination. They had a health grade of 99.5 which is another super cool feature. It is on the map for NC BBQ Trail.

Grady’s is some of the best NC pulled pork barbecue I’ve had, and it is a worthy member of the North Carolina barbecue trail.
From the outside, it may not look like much, but the inside has a family-​run feel to it, and the people are very friendly. I came on a Saturday for lunch around 11:45, and we arrived at the right time, because after we ordered, there was a line forming to the door. Efficiency at the ordering window wasn’t their forte, so the line tended to move slowly. If you happen to get stuck in a long line — wait it out, it’s worth it.
I shared a bunch of food with three other people, and here’s what we tried:
Pulled pork barbecue — You must order pulled pork barbecue of some kind when you come to Grady’s, or else your trip is wasted. It is moist, tender, smoky, and I actually like that they include the rinds. Their vinegar sauce is also on point — it has the right amount of tangy-​ness and spiciness to pair perfectly with the meat. It’s nothing short of amazing.
Cole Slaw — They shred their cabbage into larger pieces, which I like. It makes the slaw taste more homemade. It’s not too heavy and not slathered with mayo, but it has enough in it to make it tasty.
Potato Salad — The potatoes are cut into large chunks, and some of my potatoes were a little harder than I generally like them. The flavor was great, and it wasn’t too heavy, either.
Hush Puppies — The hush puppies were solid, but didn’t blow me away. They had an added crunch on the outside that most hush puppies don’t have, but overall, it seemed like a pretty standard hush puppy.
Sweet Tea — Hard to go wrong with sweet tea.
Banana Pudding — Nothing spectacular with the banana pudding. It was a bit on the sweeter side for me, but still tasted good.
Overall, it was an excellent meal, and I wish I had more space in my stomach for more barbecue. Do yourself a favor and make your way out to Brady’s to try some incredible pulled pork barbecue — you won’t regret it.

One of my favorite places to go for lunch! I cannot stress enough to you that you should try the butter beans. Everything else is awesome too. Crispy fried chicken, home cooked veggies… and the BBQ is the best around. Ms Grady and her crew will hook you up!

Friendly and polite staff, great old time bbq joint atmosphere and location.
The pig is very delicious, but was a little tough in places and has more «trash» than usual in the meat — fatty lumps and hard unchewable bits of skin and cartilage etc. But some might like it rustic like that. I don’t so I took away one star.
Cole slaw was the best I ever had at any of the 17 bbq joints I’ve been to so far in NC. I could taste an additional spice in it that put it over the top, but I’m only guessing what it was.
Black eyed peas were good as were the collards.
Hush puppies were just ok.
I had a slice of sweet potato pie and I just loved it.
I would gladly return.

Great food! Hole in the wall place but fabulous sides. Loved my butter beans, fries and banana pudding. Red hot dog didn’t go down well with my son, but he’s 6. They’ll make everything your way and are friendly to boot!

Grady’s is legendary. Everything about this place makes it the best. It’s a nice drive through the country side. It’s small and family style. Everyone is super sweet and appreciative. And the food… is so authentic and amazing. The BBQ sandwich is so good, people drive all the way out here just to have one. The collard greens and butter beans are so sweet like my moms.
I make it a point every time I come home to visit Grady’s and you should too!

Awesome NC BBQ. CLOSED sundays. Frustration abounds– we diverted for sunday lunch at our favorite barbecue place, only to find it is closed Sunday. If you get there when it is open, eat the barbecue that makes other barbecue cry and hang its head in justified feelings of shame and inadequacy. Everything else is good, but the pulled pork barbecue with bits of crips crackling nestled in mounds of mouthwatering meat goodness makes the angels sing.

Best BBQ in Eastern NC. It is worth the detour on your way to the coast. Don’t forget cash and get there before they close! On your way out pick up the World’s best ‘Nana puddin’!

I tried the fried chicken for research purposes, but no combos are needed here, just get the large pork barbecue. This is a spectacular whole hog offering with great texture, taste, smoke and juiciness. There’s a good variety of shredded bits, chunkier fragments and occasional skin. The dip has a great zing but isn’t necessary for the meat, so you might want to throw some on your side dishes.
Other items I sampled in order of preference: banana pudding, butter beans, black-​eyed peas.
Be sure to check the hours before visiting.

Great BBQ, great price, and best of all — banana pudding! Don’t be in a hurry. Not hard to find with a gps, but it is off the beaten path. Worth a small detour off 117 if your passing by Mt Olive (the Pickle Capital)

Scrumpdiliumptious!
(Adjective) Something so good that it boggles your mind, and that can’t get better than it already is.
120 mile ‘cue for me. Verrrrrrry good…

I’ve been coming here all my life. Lucky to have my grandparents live 10 mins away.
You’ll never find another authentic barbecue restaurant. The meat is smoked and prepared onsite. Don’t forget to order your hush puppies. Can’t wait until I’m back in Dudley.

Detoured 45 minutes to try this and Grady’s did not disappoint. I’m born and raised western Kentucky, where wood fired pits are the norm and the BBQ is generally underrated. Great
smoky flavor. Spotless and very friendly. When I was leaving, a gentleman walked in who could have been a stunt double for Gabby Hayes and that’s always a good sign when grub is involved.

While driving up North from the coast, we decided to go out of our way to eat lunch at Grady’s based on the reviews. We were not disappointed.
Stepping into Grady’s felt like stepping back in time. The restaurant has an old, authentic feel to it. The kitchen staff was very friendly and the prices were unbeatable. We both ordered BBQ sandwiches with cole slaw. The sauce was tangy and flavorful and the meat was super tender. We also ordered collard greens, which lacked flavor in my opinion, but weren’t bad by any means.
Overall, we wanted an authentic local bbq pit and we got exactly what we were looking for. We stopped at Parker’s in Wilson on the way down, and while we thought it was fine, I would definitely recommend Grady’s over Parker’s based on the quality of the food.
Would recommend this to anyone who doesn’t mind going off the beaten path!

Meh. Hate to do it, but it was just ok for us. We expected excellent things based Unilocal.The meat was tender, but the pork wasn’t great and the fries were way under cooked. The slaw to meat mix on the sandwich was not the right ratio. Overall just totally underwhelmed.

Oh. Man. I had the ½ chicken and it was so tender it literally fell off the bones. The sauce was killer too, amazing and just a bit tangy.

If this place had a JukeBox, it would have skipped when we walked in the door.
Everyone, mid-​bite, stopped, looked at us and starred. HARD.
You must be fearless in this world if you want good food.
A man in a chefs apron, having lunch, broke the ice with pleasantries and we knew it was going to be alright.
Cash only. Great food.

Grady’s Barbecue changed my life, by setting a new personal standard of NC barbecue excellence. In short, Grady’s Barbecue generally blew my everloving mind, and there’s no going back. I used to love the WNC BBQ that I grew up with and Lexington NC barbecue best, but now I have seen the light.
There are several eastern NC BBQ restaurants that I haven’t tried yet, but Grady’s has the BEST EASTERN CAROLINA BBQ that I’ve eaten to date. It is subtly smokey, moist, and tender. One is presented with a generous serving. The food is reasonably priced, and all of the food is absolutely delicious.
Grady’s restaurant is located in a rural area that you have to intentionally make an effort to find. When you arrive, you will ask yourself, «really, is this it?»
Grady’s isn’t fancy on the outside, and truth be told, it isn’t the least bit fancy on the inside either; however, there is one wall to which you should pay special attention. One entire interior wall is adorned with national awards and recognitions for having the BEST of the BEST barbecue.
The SIDES that I had were simple fare: BOILED POTATOES and COLLARD GREENS, and both were fantastic.
I made a special overnight trip from Hickory for no other reason, but just to eat here… and it was totally worth the time, effort, gas, and hotel bill. I arrived as they were opening for the day, thereby insuring that the barbecue would be at its freshest, moistest, and peak of quality.
The owner’s wife was extremely hospitable and friendly. When I told her that their food was outstanding, she told me that, «we make our barbecue with love.» This definitely shows in the finished product (s).
Head on down to eastern North Carolina at your earliest opportunity for some great BBQ. The roar that you will hear overhead, will be F-​15 Strike Eagles from nearby Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. Enjoy the scenic rural North Carolina countryside.
Yes, there are other big name, local BBQ legends nearby, but THIS is a wonderful, totally unpretentious, bucket list good, place for terrific award winning ‘Q — THE REAL DEAL.
Cash ONLY. Break your piggy bank if necessary!

Hands down the greatest Eastern Carolina BBQ I’ve ever had (or any BBQ for that matter). And I don’t give that distinction lightly. I’ve had what others call the «best» (Wilber’s, Allen & Sons, McCall’s, Bullock’s, etc) and while those definitely beat the sludge from Memphis, Kansas City, Texas, and South Carolina, nothing beats Grady’s.
They’ve been featured in GQ Magazine and USA Today, but you’d never know that driving by. If you blink you’ll miss it, but make sure you don’t.
I had a BBQ plate with collards and slaw with a slice of sweet potato pie. Don’t forget this place is cash only, and make sure you leave a tip!

Grady’s was the fourth stop on our one day Eastern NC BBQ Quest For The Best — Part One (included B. J.‘s Grill & Ken’s Grill in La Grange, Wilber’s, McCall’s, Jack Cobb’s in Farmville. and Holt Lake BBQ in Smithfield).At each stop we sampled some fresh BBQ (sandwich or tray), and bought some (also fresh) to take home — amounts varied on the take home, here it was 3 pounds.
We got here just after 11, and were the first customers of the day. The reason we started with B. J’s, Ken’s, and Wilber’s is that they are close together, and all 3 serve breakfast, so you can get the BBQ goodies early, and move on.
The BBQ was every bit as good as I remember — moist, tender, with some smokiness, and great flavor. I still consider this one of the top five Eastern NC BBQ joints.