My plan was to order pulled pork like always, but the person ahead of me got a plate stacked with thick slices of smoked turkey, and I completely changed my mind. Across North Carolina, plenty of pitmasters are giving turkey the same slow, smoky treatment usually reserved for pork and brisket, and the results can steal the whole meal.
If you have only known turkey as a dry holiday afterthought, these smokehouses will flip that idea on its head. Here are nine spots worth the drive for turkey that comes juicy, generously sliced, and piled high.
1. Sam Jones BBQ, Raleigh, NC
Turkey newcomers have a habit of leaving here as converts. Set on West Lenoir Street in downtown Raleigh, this easygoing spot smokes turkey until the slices come out tender enough to melt in your mouth, cut thick and stacked high on the plate.
The lineup runs deep beyond the bird. You will find the Pitmaster Platter, the Jones Family Original BBQ Tray, spare ribs, and pork skins with pimento cheese, but regulars swear the Smokehouse Baked Potato loaded with real bacon bits is a sleeper hit worth ordering alongside your meats…