Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q — Restaurant in Burlington

Ladies & Gentlemen, this simply is a taste experience you have to treat yourself to. Smithfield's is Carolina BBQ, a vinegar based BBQ. Completely different from, say, Memphis style which is a tomato/ brown sugar based BBQ. It is different and DIFFERENT IS GOOD. It was so different, in fact, as a 19 y.o. boot Marine in Jacksonville N.C. I didn't like it...couldn't wrap my mind around why someone would ruin perfectly good pork with vinegar, but how wrong I was!!!

Trust me, you've gotta get a BBQ sandwich, W/slaw if you prefer, like I do. The hush puppies are classic, NC "squiggle" puppies, which are different from the round, up north kind. They have two kinds of dipping sauce, red & vinegar. The red is closer to traditional sweet sauce but has a zip 'n zing you'll crave! The vinegar is potent and delicious! It is a perfect balance to the sweet slaw on your sandwich.

The sweet tea is fresh brewed and dang near syrup...YUM! O, two of my kids love their fried 🐔....and for good reason. It is always fried to perfection and you get gargantuan proportions!!!

At the end of the day, you can just throw everything in the sauce...fries, pups, sandwiches, chicken, heck throw a flip flop in and eat it that way🤣 Trust me, you'll love it. Could be called "Smithfiled's Chicken and vinegar red sauce"🤣❤💯

This particular location was just like the rest, exquisitely decorated, clean and friendly with prompt service.

JUST...

Ok. I have never had an order so screwed up before. I work 15 miles away from this establishment but stop here occasionally. It was the day after Christmas and I was returning a gift during my lunch hour.

I was at the tail end of my lunch when I went through the drive thru. Got on the high way and started eating my lunch. My Fries were cold - seriously. They must have been in that bag sitting on the shelf for at least 30 minutes.

I had ordered a half/half sweet tea - as I do not do well with sugar any more and can not drink any type of soda. I went to drink from my extra large drink, only to find it was diet coke (or Pepsi). Ok, this is not looking good.... I am five miles from work and only a few minutes to get back, so turning around is not an option.

Pull out my Chicken strip sandwich.... The bread was flattened to the point when I picked it up to eat it, it broke into three separate pieces. My lunch is completely ruined at this point!

I call to complain and it goes to a Voice Mail that is full (I wonder why????). So, I go to Smithfields website when I get back to work (having thrown my lunch away at this point) and pop off an email complaint to their corporate office. It has been a day and half later and NOTHING! Dead silence. They have now lost me and my family of seven children...

Horrible experience! First let me say that I love Smithfield's. I always stop at one when I'm in the area. Was in a hurry but went in to place our order. There was literally no one else in the restaurant. Waited for about 5 min then walked back to the counter, waited a couple more minutes then got the attention of one of the workers in the dining area and asked could she check to see what the hold up was....again nobody else was there. She went to the back and come to find out they never started our order. So the man took his ungloved right hand, stroked his beard, then proceeded to pick up my chicken with his same hand. I immediately got the manager's attention and told him I wanted my money back...his response was "for???" Then I told him what i witnessed and he was so nonchalant and gave me my money back. My husband was like where is the rest of the money. The manager had only refunded the food but not the drinks....which we did not receive either. I never had an issue at any Smithfield's so I was surprised with the staff and their actions at this location. Will I continue to visit Smithfield's??? Absolutely! Never this location. I'm just glad I went in instead of the drive thru...there is no guarantee that I would not have any hair or other...