Parker's in Wilson, NC (semi long)

Last week we were traveling on I95 and got off at the Wilson exit to try the bbq at Parker's which I had read about on RF. I grew up on Bill Melear's bbq in Union City, Ga which was wood smoked shoulders only. I'm still trying to figure out what I was served at Parker's.
We got there at lunch on Thursday and the line was out the door. It moved fairly quickly and soon we were inside a classic bbq building. The servers hustled and before you could get to the cash register, your table was cleared and new folks were ordering. Here's what happened next. We ordered pork sandwiches and the side of slaw. What they brought us looked like a pre cooked crabcake on a bun. And I mean a crabcake made with shredded claw meat, not lump. My wife said it best when she said her's was "mushy". The sauce was good, vinegary and peppery. The No. 2 yellow pencils they passed off as corn sticks would crack a tooth. Obviously had been around way too long that day. The hush puppies were a little better, but not much. They did put a pitcher of tea on the table which won a few points back. Does anyone else stand up for this place? We were actually looking for Moore's; is it still in existence because no one in Wilson said they had ever heard of it.

I had gone out and tried Parkers BBQ for the first time early last month (May 2007). I did enjoy it but it certainly wasn't the best I've ever had. I also tried Ralph's BBQ in Weldon and White Swan BBQ in Garner for the first time as well. To be the other two establishments I had just mentioned were just as good if not better than Parkers. For PICS along with my review click the link below:

http://roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19755

Don't let this sour you on all North Carolina Q. Wilber's in Goldsboro and Skylight in Ayden offer the best in eastern NC style (eastern style cooks the whole hog, uses the vinegar/pepper sauce, serves with brunswich stew, boiled potatos and breadsticks--and the "chopped" is closer to minced).

Western, or Lexington, style NC Q cooks shoulders only, adds a little tomato paste and brown sugar to the sauce (called dip rather than sauce by the folks who prepare it) and serve a tray with a slaw made with the BBQ sauce instead of mayonaise, huspuppies, and is either chopped, coarse chopped (actually chunks) or sliced. A plate adds fries, and onion rings are usually available. Most western style joints (my absolute favorite is Lexington # 1 in Lexington, NC) also serve great cobblers.

I'll preface this by saying that I have not been to Parker's. But I have been to a few other Eastern NC que joints and my expereince is that in the really busy ones like that have a full menu and table service that they usually have an option for family style. This normally includes all you can eat servings of pork, chicken, and sides such as cole slaw, potatoes, and stew. For some reason, when it is served this way in big helpings in bowls that you pass around the table I think it turns out better than ordering individual servings. It's how we used to get it at Bob Meltons and I found our experience at Wilber's to be better when we chose this option. There was another one in Tarboro that we ate at multiple times and it was beter this way as well. I don't have an explination for it but it is my preferred way of ordering now. One place, didn't even have that option on the menu but when we asked they said it was availble for parties of four or more. Keep trying.

I'm not prejudging. As a matter of fact I'm trying to figure out how I can get back in that area to go to Skylight and Wilber's in that order. I just wasn't accustomed to that BBQ with a consistency of wet toilet paper and inedible cornsticks.