Visit Goldsboro: Exciting Craft Beer Scene, Legendary ‘Cue, Vibrant Downtown & A State Park!
Goldsboro, NC – On a crisp fall Friday morning I headed out for a weekend getaway to Goldsboro for Spectacular Magazine’s series entitled Explore NC: Day Trips, Weekend Getaways & Staycations. From Durham, Goldsboro is about an hour and a half drive, although it took me almost 2 hours. (Full disclosure: I am directionally challenged – even with a GPS.) Goldsboro is the county seat of Wayne County and the home of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
Visit Goldsboro touts that this Wayne County town has a “unique mix of Southern Charm and tranquil outdoor escapes, combined with a thriving Downtown and exciting upcoming craft beer scene.” Let’s not forget the legendary barbecue!
To decompress and get in relaxation mode, I recommend that you ease into the weekend with a morning walk in the tranquil outdoor escape of the Cliffs of the Neuse State Park, a 1097 acre park about a 20-minute drive from Downtown Goldsboro.
The State Park Ranger there took us on a guided hike along the trail overlooking the spring-fed lake which offers swimming and boating (in season). We went past the campgrounds, had time to appreciate the natural splendor, and learned some interesting facts about the Park, especially the cliffs and how they were formed. Visit https://www.ncparks.gov/cliffs-of-the-neuse-state-park for more information about Cliffs of the Neuse State Park. (NOTE: The section of the path adjacent to the cliff features a well-packed, gravel base and is ideal for those with limited mobility and those with mobility devices.)
The serenity and peacefulness of the surrounding really were relaxing and I didn’t even realize I had walked close to 3 miles!
Take a look for yourself at the Cliffs of the Neuse State Park (photos/videos: Phyllis Coley):
After the hike, I was ready for lunch at Jay’s Sushi and Burger Bar (108 N. John St.), an Asian-American fusion restaurant that ‘brings together the best in Korean flair with home-cooked American goodness.’ I had the burger made with Kobe beef that they say is the best in Goldsboro. I can’t attest to it being the best in Goldsboro but it was pretty darn good. The members of my group did attest to the sushi and edamame (for the vegan and seafood allergic) as some of the best they had tasted.
And speaking of tasting…that’s all the next day was about. We embarked on the Goldsboro Brews and Cues Guided Tour, alternating between experiencing some of Goldsboro’s craft beer spots to, of course, sampling some of the renowned barbecues. I’m so glad that I got a good night’s rest in an extremely comfortable, spacious room and had a delicious, filling breakfast at the Hampton Inn Goldsboro before the drinking and eating.
The first stop was at Goldsboro Brew Works (207 N. John St.). This establishment, co-owned by Carson Clark, is charmingly rustic with exposed brick walls, concrete floors, tables made from barrels, metal bar stools, and a huge NC flag painted on the wall. They offer a large variety of craft beers, both locally brewed and from across the country, in their taproom and bottle shop. Carson and his team are well versed in all things beer and provided me with a much-appreciated mini-course and samplings, especially for a non-beer drinker. Nice folks to hang out with. I didn’t get the feeling they just turned it on for the tour. They genuinely love beer, love people, love people talking about and drinking beer. I can’t say I have a favorite craft beer yet, but you probably will. There’s certainly a lot to choose from at Goldsboro Brew Works.
Then we went to eat barbecue, but I’ll get to that later. While on beer, our next craft beer stop was in Mt. Olive, home of the world-famous pickle company. R & R Brewing (541 Northwest Center St. – Mt. Olive) is a microbrewery, taproom and beer garden. The Head of Hoperation, Ryan Roberts, told us about the unique building and fixtures, most done by hand by him, his beer buddies and students from Bunn High School. I love that they are committed to their community. They currently offer a menu of 10 different craft beers, most brewed in-house, that are switched out periodically.
One beer that is always on the menu though is the Pickletown Lager, made using Mt. Olive Pickle juice and served with a pickle spear garnish. I did taste test the lager, without the pickle spear (watch the video below to see how that went!). For the non-beer drinker, R & R offers wine and mimosas. And free water at the end of the night. I told you, they care about the community.
Goldsboro’s Exciting Upcoming Craft Beer Scene:
Ok. Now let’s talk about barbeque. We visited Adams Downtown Bar-B-Q and I tasted the best-smoked turkey and the most-tender brisket I have ever had. I could cut it with a fork! (I forgot to ask if they shipped – I want a smoked turkey for Thanksgiving!) They use a sweet, thick sauce. The sides of baked beans and Mac ‘n Cheese were awesome (or so I was told, I don’t eat cheese. I traded my Mac ‘n Cheese with the person beside me who didn’t eat baked beans. I was happy to have 2 servings and she seemed extremely pleased with her food).
Scott Adams, the owner, and long-time Pitmaster gave us a lesson on Eastern-NC style barbecue, how he got started, and the difference in the various barbecue joints in the area. One of those he described was McCall’s Bar-B-Que & Seafood Restaurant (139 Millers Chapel Rd.), which was our next stop.
McCall’s is a buffet-style restaurant specializing in pit-cooked BBQ pork and Calabash style seafood. They offer other meats such as fried chicken, baked chicken, meatloaf, etc. They also have a great variety of country vegetables that were pretty good, seasoned for a ‘raised in the south’ palette (in other words, they season their veggies with pork – but that shouldn’t surprise you). Every time we mentioned we were going to McCall’s, we were asked to bring back some banana pudding. I personally think a make damn-good banana pudding and I will say McCall’s was on par with mine (trust me, I don’t say that often).
The locals also strongly suggest the barbecue at Grady’s (pronounced Grad – dees) and soon to reopen Wilbur’s, one of the oldest barbecue joints in town. A barber downtown told us that if we didn’t think Grady’s was the absolute best, he would buy our uneaten ‘cue. Now that’s a statement. Hate we didn’t get to go by there. I definitely will on my next visit.
The Legendary BBQ Joints (& other interesting places) in Goldsboro:
We ended the tour back downtown at Goldsboro Brew Works allowing us time to work around. Goldsboro is a part of the African American Music Trails of Eastern North Carolina, a companion heritage tourism initiative in the eastern part of the state. The effort showcases other amazing facets of North Carolina’s rich and diverse music heritage: jazz, rhythm & blues, funk, gospel, hymns, blues, rap, marching bands, and beach music. Downtown is vibrant with over 45 new businesses in recent years including specialty boutiques, restaurants and other cute, interesting shops.
There are a few that are huge and noteworthy events, and some other smaller cool stuff going on in Goldsboro throughout the year. Here are 3 that I’ve been told are the best!
- Wings Over Wayne Air Show: This happens every other year, there was one this year so the next is 2021. Wings Over Wayne in NC’s biggest free air show. Put on by Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, it is a truly spectacular weekend with wall to wall flying displays, ground displays, food, drink, and music. The website from this last year is here, it is worth exploring some of the content on FB too @wingsoverwayne. https://www.wingsoverwayneairshow.com/
- NC Pickle Fest: This is annual, and the next one is 24-25th April 2020. It’s held in Mt Olive, home of all things Pickle, and is an extraordinary few days of family fun, live music, food, drink, and all things pickle themed! https://www.ncpicklefest.org/
- A final, seasonal fun event is Downtown Lights Up. Featuring music, hot cocoa, kids’ crafts, trolley rides, and of course Santa, it’s a fun way to welcome in Christmas. Downtown Lights up this year is on Tuesday, November 26th. http://www.dgdc.org/dgdc_events_type/downtown-lights-up/
Spectacular Magazine highly suggests you Visit Goldsboro for a Day Trip (only 1.5 hours away from Durham), Weekend Getaway (enough to do to fill 2 or more days) and/or a Staycation (two couples on Brews and Cues Tour were locals). For more about Goldsboro: http://visitgoldsboro.com/