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
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
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: Chris Holloway is the current owner of Picnic.
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
When it comes to spreading holiday cheer, the residents of this Chatham County town start early.
Our editor in chief shares a few treasured memories from her childhood home, a Christmas Eve night being one of the very first.
We took some, ahem, creative liberties when we combed through Our State’s archives to find a few favorite stories that carry the tune of a Christmas classic.
From decades-old family recipes to a centuries-old Carolina cookie, we’re filling our holiday tables with dishes that have stood the test of time.
