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

Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q is a gem! I recently visited and was blown away by the delicious Eastern North Carolina-style BBQ and crispy fried chicken. The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming, with friendly staff who make you feel right at home. The service is top-notch, with attentive servers who refill drinks and clear tables promptly.

Highlights:

Delicious BBQ: The pulled pork is tender and smoky, with a perfect vinegar-based sauce. Crispy Fried Chicken: The chicken is cooked to perfection, with a light crunchy batter that's not too greasy. Friendly Service: The staff is always smiling and courteous, making for a pleasant dining experience.

Areas for Improvement:

Some reviewers have mentioned inconsistent food quality, particularly with portion sizes and flavor. A few have reported issues with to-go orders, citing subpar quality and missing items.

Overall Experience:

My experience at Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q was excellent. The food was hot and fresh, and the service was exceptional. I'd highly recommend this spot to anyone craving authentic Southern...

The food we did get was good. Went on a Tuesday evening around 2030. The lady taking orders struggled big time. She kept asking for clarification on the car in front of me's order and saying she couldn't hear him. I literally sat for 10 minutes waiting to order, behind one car that was already in process when I arrived. Then I ordered an eight piece and a couple sides. When she quoted the price, it was almost the same as the Tailgate, so I told her to just switch it to that. I should have known better than to expect that to be a simple transition because telling her we only wanted one dozen hush puppies, since we never eat all of them, was apparently mind-boggling. Then she asked me which sides. I said, "The ones I just ordered." 🤦‍♀️ She verified that I wanted the"barbecue pork." I confirmed that a couple times. Get up to window, wait another 5 minutes after it took 5 minutes or more to order. Paid and came home. Guess what! No pork... Oy. And the restaurant was closed by then. We go to the one off Yopp all the time. I should have just gone there but was afraid they would be closed by the time...

My family and I have been loyal customers of the Smithfield’s on Gum Branch Rd for 30+ years so it was shocking to learn that the original owner sold the business and the new owners decided to invest in a new building right next to the existing one and while moving I think they lost the recipes to the chicken and the bbq because the chicken we received was so SALTY we couldn’t eat it and the bbq pork was really bland as though they forgot the bbq so it was just pork. So my brother who’d just spent $47.00 (which he buys the family pack almost every Sunday) on the order called and complained so they offered him more chicken I literally lol’d when he told me that because why would we want more salty a$$ chicken? Our family will never eat at this SCNB again but instead we will drive past this one and as of today we started a new relationship with the SCNB in Southwest which is approximately 12 miles round trip out of the way which is fine with us because quality over convenience wins every time and today everything...