In case you hadn’t noticed, Skipper’s Seafood in Apex recently added “Smokehouse” to their name. And this wasn’t just an afterthought. Chief smoke maker James Johnson is the bearded brainchild behind the idea.

Proteins like pork, chicken and turkey are all first-rate, but it’s the transcendent beef brisket that’s the star of the show.

“A lot of love goes into it,” said Johnson, a Garner native who grew up watching his father cook whole hogs. “We take quality meat and hit it with smoke. It cooks at 225 degrees for about 12 hours.”

Sliced beef brisket from Skipper’s.

Skipper’s added 450 square feet in the back of the restaurant to accommodate two Southern Pride wood-burning, gas-fired smokers with 1,300-pound total capacity.

“We’re really just scratching the surface of what we can do,” Johnson said, adding that the restaurant is well-positioned to handle large catering opportunities.

Johnson embraces a Central Texas-based approach to cooking barbecue.

“There are a lot of Eastern-style titans in the area,” he said, “but we’re hitting all our proteins with a smoke-forward process.”

Try the fall-off-the-bone St. Louis-style pork ribs. Just keep plenty of napkins handy.

“We use a simple rub along with salt, pepper, paprika and a little brown sugar for caramelization,” Johnson explained.

While the current pandemic caused the restaurant to pump the brakes somewhat on the smoked provisions, you can get your fill on Mondays and Thursdays. Go early for the brisket, which sells out quickly. Bonus tip: If half chickens are available, order some to take home.

“We’re kicking them out for just over $5 apiece, which is a great deal,” Johnson said.

Future plans include adding smoked wings and house-made sausage.

There’s no limit to what Johnson can do as long as he’s making smoke.

Skipper’s is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner with continuous service. Online ordering is available for takeout.

Skipper’s Seafood & Smokehouse
1001 East Williams St., Apex
(919)303-2400
skippersfish.com