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.
1317 Winston Road
Lexington, NC 27295
(336) 248-2092
speedysbbqinc.com
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
In an old South Slope building that served as a roller rink in the 1930s, folks gather for the wood-smoked, whole-hog, eastern-style barbecue that has made Buxton Hall a western favorite.
32 Banks Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 232-7216
buxtonhall.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
Unlike those who use traditional brick pits, “barbecue man” Wyatt Dickson smokes 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
Flaky buttermilk drop biscuits, creamy potato and sausage casserole, and soul-warming chicken and cabbage soup were among your favorite recipes in January. Find out what else made the list.
For only three days each week, a former hosiery mill building in the foothills becomes a barbecue destination powered by a hardworking family.
When demand for tobacco and cotton diminished, this one-square-mile Halifax County town followed suit. Now, one couple is revitalizing Littleton into a lively location once more.
Each year, Our State celebrates the very best in North Carolina craftsmanship with the Made in NC Awards. Meet the talented artisans who won top honors in 2022 — and watch them at work.
