Doin' the 'Cue Thing-- Part 3-- Wilber's-- Goldsboro, NC

Third and Final 'Cue Entry. I dun et enuff!!! No more barbecue for me. As Much as I love the stuff, there comes a time....

The last day of the visit, we went to the grandaddy of them all, Wilber's, located on the US-70 Bypass near the airfields of Seymour Johnson AFB. You occassionally get rattled when those F-15s and F-16s pass nearby.

Love the decor with the old-style wooden slatted chairs, red and white table cloths, and stained pine interior. The environment alone says 'cue. Then, you have that barbeque, hushpuppies, and cole slaw (comes with potato salad, but I like to double up on the slaw). Every forkfull for me has to have both 'cue and slaw.

The price of a platter is $7.50 and includes all of the above. And don't forget the SWEET TEA.

Wilber's has been a family favorite since he opened and our group hails from Goldsboro (where I was born). In 1962, Wilber Shirley and Carl Lyerly bought Hill's Barbecue and renamed it Highway 70 BBQ. A year later, Wilber bought out Carl and changed the name. From 11 employees back then, there are more than 100.

Such notables as Bill Clinton, Geirge W. Bush, governors Jim Hunt and Terry Sanford as well as Sen. Jesse Helms have whet their appetites beside that pine paneling.

Wilber Shirley learned the art of cueing from his father and a 13-year-stint at Griffin's, a former barbecue hotspot in town. He still cooks the whole hog over pits with wood fires. You can see him at the place most days, even at age 78. No easy-life retirement for him.

As Jim Early in his "Best Tar Heel Barbecue" said, "A visit to the beach is not complete without a stop at Wilber's Barbecue.

Mighty Good Stuff, Maynard. --RoadDog