Name: Old Hampton Store & Barbeque Date: 12/3/23 Location: 77 Ruffin Street, Linville, NC 28646 Order: Pulled pork sandwich with cole slaw Pricing: $$
Monk: Old Hampton Store & Barbeque (plus a grist mill!) is an old-time mountain country store in Linville in Avery County which is the middle of Christmas tree farm country in NC. After having tried some unique but delicious barbecue at Ridgewood Barbecue, could I possibly get lucky again with another mountain barbecue joint? For those unaware, while there is no true “mountain-style” barbecue in NC, restaurants tend to over sauce their (at many times) gas-assisted pork.
Thankfully, I arrived to find that is not the case with Old Hampton Store, and neat stacks of hickory wood are strewn about the property which also includes an art gallery on the property. Inside the main building with the restaurant, an old-time general store (think a non-corporate Cracker Barrel) is flanked by a small bar and a barbecue counter with a seating area. In that seating area is a small stage, since Old Hampton Store regularly hosts live music; unfortunately nothing on this Sunday afternoon.
My order was simple with a barbecue sandwich with a side of coleslaw. The hickory-smoked pork had a nice smokiness to it, and the bun was of a higher quality than a grocery store bread. A very tasty sandwich, indeed. Now that I’m confident in the quality, next time through I’ll be more adventurous and get some of the smoked wings or homemade pork skins with pimento cheese.
The Monk family had actually tried to visit Old Hampton Store & Barbeque a few years back after hiking nearby Grandfather Mountain, but this family-owned business does close at some point in December until late January or February. So be sure to check ahead if you are planning a visit. I hope to be back, and maybe even catch some live bluegrass.
Monk: The Friday’s Forever YouTube channel explores the Old Hampton Store & Barbeque as well as the art gallery on the property in this first person video. The barbecue portion of the video starts at 9:05.
Description: IN THIS EPISODE → Join us on this journey through the Old Hampton Store & BBQ and discover why it’s such a special place. Whether you’re a history buff, a foodie, or a music lover, the Old Hampton Store & BBQ has something for everyone. Don’t miss out on the delicious food, historic charm, and lively entertainment of this unique destination in Linville NC!
Monk: Daniel Vaughn (aka BBQ Snob), Barbecue Editor for Texas Monthly, made a trip to North Carolina last week (with a jag up to Norfolk) to taste what the Old North State has to currently offer in terms of Texas barbecue. Long story short, he was “blown away” by the “staggeringly good” barbecue he tasted on this trip. The stops he called out:
For the Charlotte area, no surprise that he remains a fan of Jon G’s, but good to see Sweet Lew’s gets a shoutout as well as newcomer Union Barbecue, whom I haven’t had a chance to try yet. Dampf Good and Old Colony are on my list as well for NC.
You may recall that Vaughn did a similar trip through South Carolina and Georgia last summer where he praised City Limits Barbeque in West Columbia and Fork Grove Barbecue in Anderson among others. I would expect a similar story in the next week or so about North Carolina, and I can’t wait to read it.
Firehawk Brewpub is hosting a 5 course, family-style dinner featuring the smoked specialties of Chefs Scott Blackwood and Chris Coleman as well as cocktails from Mixologist Bob Peters; tickets available here
Name: Terry Black’s Barbecue (Dallas) Date: 1/5/24 Address: 3025 Main St., Dallas, TX Order: Brisket, pork ribs, (original) sausage, turkey (Link To Menu) Price: $$
Speedy: On the first weekend of the new year, I went down to Dallas to spend the weekend with a couple of friends. I had already prepped the squad that a visit to Pecan Lodge was a must, which we had planned for Saturday afternoon but that left Friday night open, at least cuisine-wise. When searching close by restaurants, I came upon Terry Black’s Barbecue. Obviously I am familiar with the Black family, and I remember quite fondly my 2014 visit to Black’s Barbecue in Lockhart. So I asked my (normally non-barbecue) bros if they wanted to double up on the ‘cue. They agreed and it was on.
We arrived at the restaurant, which was a typical Texas cafeteria style joint. It was fairly crowded (not many open tables), but only around 5 people in front of us in line, so the wait was short. Side note: Terry Black’s in Dallas has a nice, large outdoor space with plenty of tables, but this evening was a little chilly so it was empty.
We went through and ordered sides (green beans and mac &cheese) and got to a meat station. One thing I really appreciated is that once you got through the sides line, there were several meat slicers, since that takes a little more time. This moved the line really quickly. We got our order, found a table, and it was time to dig in.
Being a Texas joint, let’s start with the brisket. We were not asked whether we wanted fatty or lean brisket (not sure if this is still a thing – we were not asked at Pecan Lodge the next day either), but we ended up with lean. The worry here, obviously, is the brisket getting dry, but that was not the case. Cooked perfectly and moist, the brisket was very good. My only complaint is I felt it could use a little more seasoning.
The other Texas staple, the original sausage, was also good. It did not fall apart when sliced, had nice flavor, and a nice hint of smoke. While enjoyable, nothing really set it apart, and it was probably my least favorite meat of the meal.
Let’s take an aside to talk about ribs. For whatever reason, I’ve really struggled finding solid pork ribs lately. Often overcooked, over seasoned or over sauced, and often overly fatty, this feels to me like a (mostly) lost art form. (Shame note: This has extended to my own rib smoking. Ole Speedy will be going back to the drawing board with his rib technique in 2024.) Well this was not a problem at Terry Black’s. Perfectly seasoned and cooked spare ribs, I was able to get a nice clean bite. There was also a nice, sweet (but not overly) glaze on the ribs, enhancing the smoky flavor of the meat.
OK, saving the best for last: the turkey (yes, I said it). Monk and I are both on record discussing our appreciation for good smoked turkey. Well, this turkey breast took the cake. Moist, buttery, well-seasoned, and with smoke and seasoning permeating every bite of the meat, this was the best turkey that I’ve ever had. While the perfect bite of brisket still shines as the top bite in barbecue, this turkey definitely deserves a seat at the table. It is an absolute must order and something I will dream about.
Rudy: I really don’t have anything to add other than to state that I am firmly in the anti-turkey camp. Mostly because there are so many things that I would rather have than it. Also, the worst part about this review is looking over it and looking back over my review of Terry Black’s in Austin from 2015. It makes me miss good barbecue so much (Editor’s note: Rudy moved to Michigan from Austin a few years back). I’m looking forward to the upcoming Pecan Lodge review because it may have been my #2 favorite place, definitely top 3, when I lived in Texas.
Speedy: Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to Terry Black’s Barbecue. I always worry about “chain” barbecue restaurants, but with only 3 locations, quality at this Dallas location was still on point.
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