Sid’s Catering, Beulaville, North Carolina

The first thing you do when you go to Sid’s is drive past it. It’s on a street of single family brick houses with nothing but an unassuming sign about two feet square in the middle of the big front yard to mark its location. It’s that white sign in the middle of the yard.

It turns out that there’s a sharp turn into a narrow concrete driveway next to the Blizzard’s mailbox. You see someone entering there and you follow. Behind the house is a restaurant, but since COVID and with labor shortages, they continue to operate on a drive-through only basis. You can see a video about Sid’s when they had a dine-in. It’s. good video.

When your turn comes, you drive up to the fellow by the pig. 

There you’ll find the menu. As you can see, they also have chicken. All orders come with slaw and hushpuppies. Place your order and have some cash ready, and ask for a bottle or two of their vinegar pepper sauce.

I was headed to another barbecue place right after Sid’s, and it was only a half hour away, so I ordered a small barbecue plate rather than a large. You move ahead, receive your order, then hurry home to eat it. Or, like me, you can park and sit in a covered area cooled by an industrial strength fan. 

There I received my order.

I could kick myself for choosing a. small plate. I took a bite of the pork and it was wonderful. This is an excellent pork, whole hog cooked over a pit with the fat dripping on the coals to grace the meat with oak smoke and pork fat smoke. The pork was pulled, properly chopped, and tossed with an excellent traditional sauce. I was mightily impressed. Then I took a bite of that beautiful chunk of pork skin. Oh my! With its not-too-thin layer of fat underneath, the pork skin is a religious experience. It just doesn’t get any better. Really.

The slaw was good, nice and fresh and with a crunchy texture. It looks overdressed, but the dressing is very liquid so it doesn’t adhere to the cabbage, and just stays put. And those are good hushpuppies with a very nice texture and flavor. But that meat!

Sid’s was founded in 1977 by Sid Blizzard. I had a good talk with him.

Sid was a hog farmer until the year he sold 10 hogs, and also cooked one hog. He made more money on the cooked hog than for all 10 of the others. Lots of barbecue places, such as Stephenson’s, started that way.  Sid is 88 years young and the business is run mainly by Sid, Jr., the one who takes the orders and collects the money. But Sid still stays up all night to watch the pigs cooking. Do you see the long grill behind Sid? That’s where they cook the chicken. It’s grilled rather than smoked, like fire house or church fundraiser dinner chicken.

Sid showed me the interior of the restaurant. People were working nonstop to fill the orders that kept pouring in. I hope the labor situation improves so that I can sit inside one day. Meanwhile, I wandered over and talked to Sid, Jr., for a second. I told him how much I enjoyed my meal, and what a treat it was to talk to his father. I assured him I’d be back as soon as I could, and I will. Then I got in the car and watched cars lining up for Sid’s as I headed to my next meal.

I’ll be back, and I’ll order a large plate and a small dark chicken plate. A combination plate makes sense, but I’d be afraid I’d get a smaller piece of skin. I’m serious about this: you should pack your bags, or a least an overnight bag. Drive down somewhere near Beulaville on a Friday — Sid’s is only open on Saturdays, 8:00. am – 2:00 pm — and find a place to spend the night. Then get up early and head to Sid’s. Remember about the problem finding the place. Place your order for a large pork plate and whatever else you want, park your car, and amble on over to the covered area. By the time you sit down, they’ll be bringing your food over, hot and fresh. Prepare yourself for a great, great meal.

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