We believe curiosity is the spice best used while on a road trip. Watch out for red pepper flakes on our pulled pork! There are plenty of options for dining in, take out, or delivery in Johnston County. From traditional Southern BBQ to Italian, Japanese to Mexican, and local foodie eats making us a foodie destination worth exploring.
For a local favorite, enjoy the tasty home-cooked Southern style buffet at Meadow Village Restaurant or award-winning competition BBQ at Redneck BBQ Lab, both located near Benson. Also, you will find a chef-owned eatery in Smithfield at SoDoSoPa, a restaurant that has a unique take on Southern BBQ. And, if you consider yourself a "foodie" and love to explore, check out the multiple food trails we've compiled to help lovers of certain foods and drinks (coffee anyone?!) find places they'll love.
For a unique dining experience, try one of the many local restaurants that feature locally sourced ingredients and farm-to-table dishes. Our website has a variety of categories to help you decide what's for dinner, including BBQ eastern-style, Red Hot Dogs (what are those??), Something Sweet, and of course, a list of all dining options in the county! Dining Tip: the tea will be sweet so you might want to order it "half and half," which means half sweet and half unsweet!
Thursday, January 29, 2026 9:00 AM by Ashby Brame
