Red Bridges opened the first barbecue joint in Cleveland County in 1946. Today, his daughter and her children run the shop, still slow-cooking pork over hickory all night long, the way Red taught them.
2000 East Dixon Boulevard
Shelby, NC 28152
(704) 482-8567
bridgesbbq.com
In Lexington, the city’s namesake style of barbecue — pork shoulder meat dipped in a tomato-based sauce — draws devotees to this former drive-in.
408 Piedmont Drive
Lexington, NC 27295
(336) 248-2410
Simple, yet legendary. This Greenville landmark has been an emblem of eastern-style barbecue since 1978.
751 State Road 1204
Greenville, NC 27858
(252) 758-7126
Positioned on a hill above Highway 64 like Lexington’s crown jewel, Lexington Barbecue’s unassuming white building and massive brick smokehouse is surrounded by a crowd of cars during mid-day hours.
100 Smokehouse Lane
Lexington, NC 27295
(336) 249-9814
lexbbq.com
Wilber’s whole-hog barbecue is a favorite, but don’t miss their other offerings. Vegetables are prepared in-season and grown in the fields of nearby Seven Springs. They have fried okra and baskets of hush puppies. Fried chicken and barbecued chicken. Potato salad, and coleslaw. To finish it all off, enjoy scratch-made desserts that follow recipes from the owner’s family and friends.
4172 U.S. Highway 70
Goldsboro, NC 27534
(919) 778-5218
wilbersbbq.com
Steve’s is all about fresh, local ingredients — so local, in fact, that they come from the butchery and garden market attached to the dining room.
331 West Harden Street
Graham, NC 27253
(336) 506-4444
smokehouseatsteves.com
The only thing co-owner Matthew Register likes better than tradition is thinking up new ways to use familiar ingredients and flavors.
29 Warren Street
Garland, NC 28441
(910) 549-7484
southernsmokebbqnc.com
Just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, this spot serves hickory-smoked barbecue with a signature sauce that blends eastern and Lexington flavors.
9440 NC Highway 226A
Little Switzerland, NC 28749
(828) 765-5289
switzerlandcafe.com
Editor’s note: Wyatt Dickson sold Picnic to Chris Holloway in 2023.
Unlike those who use traditional brick pits, “barbecue man” and co-founder Wyatt Dickson built a legacy on smoking whole hogs in a double-walled steel pit.
1647 Cole Mill Road
Durham, NC 27705
(919) 908-9128
picnicdurham.com
This is competition-style barbecue: Just open your mouth and your mind, and give a forkful of brisket or pork or burnt ends an honest try. It may not be like any barbecue you’ve ever eaten, but it’s barbecue you surely won’t soon forget.
12101-B NC Highway 210
Benson, NC 27504
(919) 938-8334
theredneckbbqlab.com
Just when you think you’ve cruised past all the barbecue outlets in Lexington, press on for just a few more miles. BackCountry also serves barbecue brisket as a sandwich or tray. And don’t forget to ask for one of the personal-size banana puddings in the mini-fridge behind the register.
4014 Linwood-Southmont Road
Lexington, NC 27295
(336) 956-1696
facebook.com/backcountry-barbeque
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