Phifer’s Hot Wings & Bar-B-Q: Outstanding Chicken and Underrated Barbecue in Statesville
Sometimes the best restaurant recommendations come from somebody who keeps telling you, “You’ve got to try this place.” That was exactly how we ended up at Phifer’s Hot Wings & Bar-B-Q in Statesville, North Carolina.
Our chiropractor knows we love talking barbecue, and he had been recommending Phifer’s for a while. We finally made the trip, and it didn’t take long to understand why he wanted us to go.
We came for the fried chicken and barbecue. We left talking about a new number one on our Pit Stop Adventures leaderboard.
First Impressions
Phifer’s is the kind of place we probably would have passed without a recommendation. It has an older, established feel, and the atmosphere is comfortable and welcoming.
We arrived right when they opened and were the first customers there. By the time we finished eating, the dining room had filled up.
There were construction workers, businesspeople, and firefighters coming in for lunch. This was a regular weekday, and it felt like everybody already knew something we were just finding out.
Seeing that kind of local support made us excited to get into the food.
What We Ordered
We went with a combo plate so we could try both the fried chicken and pulled pork, along with potato salad, baked beans, and creamy coleslaw.
The meal was reasonably priced, and getting both meats turned out to be the right decision.
After our visit, someone on Reddit asked why we went to Phifer’s for barbecue when we should have gone for the chicken. We understood their point once we tasted the chicken, but we also think they were selling the barbecue short.
The Fried Chicken
The fried chicken was outstanding.
The juiciness was the first thing that really stood out. It was the kind of chicken that gets your attention immediately and has you talking about coming back while you’re still eating.
We joked during our review that it could give plenty of grandmas some competition. That is a bold statement about fried chicken, but we were impressed.
The hot sauce made it even better. It added a gradual heat that complemented the chicken without overwhelming it. We kept going back for another bite.
We don’t know exactly what goes into their cooking process, but the finished chicken was enough to put Phifer’s high on our list whenever we’re craving fried chicken.
Don’t Overlook the Pulled Pork
As good as the chicken was, the pulled pork deserves its own attention.
It was tender, well-seasoned, and had a noticeable smoke presence that surprised us. The smoke came through clearly without taking over the flavor of the pork.
We also appreciated the texture. You could tell it was pulled, and it held up well on the plate while still being easy to eat.
The meat had plenty of flavor on its own. The sauce complemented it and made an already enjoyable bite even better.
After hearing so much praise for the chicken, we could understand how the barbecue might get overlooked. But based on our meal, we would absolutely order it again.
If you’re going for the first time, get both.
Tang and a Slow-Building Heat
The sauce leaned more tangy and spicy than sweet.
It had a gradual warmth that built as we ate, but it never felt like the heat was competing with the food. That balance worked well with the pork, and we also loved the hot sauce with the fried chicken.
If you prefer a thick, sugary barbecue sauce, this was a different experience. For us, the tang and gentle burn were a big part of what made the meal work.
The Sides
The sides held their own alongside two very good main dishes.
The potato salad was a highlight. We liked that the potato skins were left in, and it had the kind of homemade feel that reminded us of something we would make ourselves.
There was a little something extra in the flavor that caught our attention, although we couldn’t put our finger on the ingredient when we recorded the review. Whatever it was, we thought it put the potato salad a notch above average.
The baked beans and creamy white coleslaw were also good and rounded out the plate nicely.
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