Cody’s Smoke House

Well, I really enjoyed my slow cooked ribs. Perfection! Meat fell off the bone. The sides are home cooking style: banana pudding. Collard greens, roasted corn. Cabbage, potato salad, baked beans, etc.
I read some of the reviews below, they seem to be giving bad reviews on the décor and music. I’m there for the food. If folks need music, play their Smart Phone. Bottom line, the food is great!

Let me start by saying, Jim already said it all 8 months ago.
No music, weird layout, long waits for food (to be honest though, it only feels so long because there isn’t any music. The whole vibe throws you off) and lukewarm food when served.
The only thing I might add, is the sweet tea doesn’t taste just right. Just barely sweet, and to be a barbeque place in NC, that’s just a sin. Maybe it was a bad day, maybe just a bad batch. I can forgive this for one time.
Now on to the good part. Did the food come out lukewarm? Yes. But did it taste good? If this isn’t the best damn Brisket I’ve had in Winston (and I’ve had Bibs, who’s awarded for his brisket). It was damn good brisket. Like melts in your mouth even at room temp brisket. Mac and cheese, ever been to thanksgiving at a black families house? Yeah. Mac and cheese was some other worldly level.
Collard greens just didn’t hit that par though. The flavor profile was there, but it got stuck on the tip of the tongue. It was almost there, just not quite. All it needed was that extra dash of salt to round it out.
I guess that’s what you can say about the place as a whole. Everything is there that needs to be there, but it just doesn’t fully come out, it gets stuck right at the top and just needs that little push to fully round out and explain itself.
Cody, you’ve got a hit on your hands dude, just add that little dash of salt and it’ll be a home run. Grand slam. Out of this park.

No music. That drives me nuts when restaurants miss the details on their atmosphere. It’s a very bizarre layout, as to where to order. The décor and signage is still the old Pig Pickin’s stuff. BBQ is cooked low and slow, which means the food is ready to serve with the exception of fried items. So it is surprising that it takes a while to get your food here. Then they bring out one meal at a time, leaving others to sit and wait.
Brisket had good flavor but was cold. I asked for a knife, but the server never brought one. The macaroni and cheese was old, reheated, and had no flavor. One bite was enough. The white slaw was good and the hush puppies were okay. The service was poor. We were given the wrong check. It seems as though nobody there has ever run a restaurant before.

The road sign on Reynolda Road remains from before the new owner changed the name to Cody’s Smoke House. The new owner, Cody, visited our table during our meal. His personality partially made up for the slow service and mediocre food.
Things really went south when my meal was three dollars more than the price listed on the menu. The waiter asked the owner to come to the front counter, but Cody completely ignored him. I am not sure how he couldn’t hear the waiter and it seemed a bit juvenile.
I waited nearly five minutes while the waiter pleaded for his attention. No response at all. Just a somber scowl as he continued whatever task he was working on for his empty restaurant without even looking up.
The meat was dry and overcooked. The edges were tough like dried jerky. Cutting the meat with the flimsy plastic silverware was difficult. The BBQ coleslaw tasted generic. The mac & cheese was not disappointing but it wasn’t fantastic.
One item that really stood out was the hush puppies. Those were great.
The table wasn’t clean. The bottles with sauce were sticky. The hot sauce and ‘cody’s sauce’ appeared rancid.
I won’t return to this establishment anytime in the near future. The slow service and unremarkable food was enough. but the overcharge and refusing to take responsibility for their error was a nail in that coffin.

Wow, I really don’t know about this new barbecue restaurant. While there are some things to like here, there are some definite problem areas, as well, with the biggest one being the very slow service.
This is the former location of Pig Pickin’s of America (this was the last of a 3 restaurant local chain), and before that it was a Sonic Drive-​In, thus the rather strange layout for both the building and the parking lot — the restrooms are outside the main building area, for example. The Pig Pickin’s sign is still up, so things are a little confusing.
We tried 2 daily specials (a meat choice, 2 sides, slaw, and HPs for $ 5.95) — Beef Brisket with Rice & Beans, and Cabbage; and Chopped Pork BBQ with FFs & Mac & Cheese. I also ordered a Hot Dog with mustard, chili, and onions.
The Brisket plate was brought out first, and it was another 5 minutes before the second plate arrived — an awkward situation which should not have happened. The brisket had a decent enough flavor, but it wasn’t the most tender, and it was very wet, siting in what was almost a broth, rather than a sauce. The Hush Puppies are very, very good here — great crust, nice flavor. The cabbage was pretty much cooked to death, and instead of Rice & Beans, there were Baked Beans, and not particularly good ones.
The Chopped Pork is more minced than chopped resulting in a texture I’m not wild about, and is rather dry and bland. There are 2 sauces available, a vinegar/​pepper one, and a sweet, thick sauce. Neither sauce did that much for the pork. The FFs were the notorious ridged rectangles of no taste, and the Mac & Cheese was dry, with no hint of creaminess.
I don’t know what the Hot Dog was like, I never got it, and I didn’t try to get that or the Baked Beans straightened out because it had already taken over 30 minutes to get our two plates, both of which were daily specials, which you would think would be the quickest items available. By the time I realized the hot dog probably was a no show, I just wanted to finish up and leave.
I believe that there are only 2 people involved in this operation, and that is the reason for the very slow service. The lady waits tables, answers the phone, and takes walk in orders, as well. We were there for almost an hour, not an experience that we’re likely to repeat.

Best BBQ in the triad area! Delicious brisket, pork and chicken, smoked to perfection and seasoned just right. All of the sides, especially the Mac n Cheese, are homemade and delicious. Awesome friendly staff that go above and beyond to make it a wonderful experience. I really enjoy this place and hope they do well.
I suggest everyone try it out!