Monk: Quick (and I mean super quick) primer on NC barbecue styles from North Carolina Pork Council CEO Roy Lee Lindsey.
Description: North Carolina Pork Council CEO Roy Lee Lindsey explains the difference between Western and Eastern North Carolina BBQ… which is your preference?
Monk: Robert Moss dropped his annual top barbecue joint list for Southern Living, and of the 50, eight were North Carolina barbecue joints while another nine were from South Carolina. The North Carolina joints were:
Even with some decent representation from the Carolinas, there were a few I felt could’ve made the list based on what Robert Moss had written previously; Jon G’s Barbecue and Lawrence Barbecue in particular.
A Texas barbecue joint made the #1 spot on the list, and while I won’t spoil just who it was just know it is a very familiar joint to most. You just know that Texas Monthly Barbecue Editor Daniel Vaughn would have to gloat:
Have you read the list yet? Who else should have made it, be it from North Carolina or elsewhere?
Mike D’s BBQ Smokehouse & Retail in Durham is one of Eater Carolinas’ hottest restaurants in September
Meet Sweet Lew next Monday through Unpretentious Palate
Robert Moss stopped by Prime Barbecue recently for some lechon whole hog
Do you know the difference between western and eastern NC barbecue?
J.C. Reid on the two-meat plate
John Tanner has some thoughts on the recent Southern Living Top 50 List
Congrats to Lewis Barbecue Greenville on 1 year open
The origin story of Fox Brothers Barbecue, who recently celebrated 22 years
Monk: The Ant’s BBQ Cookout YouTube channel has been doing some Bon Appétit-style 24/28 hours at a restaurant a la Andrew Knowlton spending 24 hours at Franklin BBQ circa 2016. In this video, he spends 2 full days at Daniel Castillo’s Heritage Barbecue in San Juan Capistrano, CA, who just received a Bib Gourmand from Michelin, which recognizes friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices.
Description: I spent 2 days at Heritage BBQ, the top BBQ Restaurant on Michelin’s “Best BBQ in California” List.
Name: Firehawk Brewpub
Date: 8/5/23
Address: 309 N Main St, Mt Holly, NC 28120
Order: Orders of pork, brisket, and ribs with slaw, collards, beans, collards, pickled deviled eggs (link to menu)
Pricing: $$
Monk: Earlier this year, Firehawk Brewpub exploded on to the local Charlotte barbecue scene with a lot of promise. Located in an old fire station near downtown Mount Holly just west of Charlotte, they announced themselves promising wood fired barbecue. After a late spring opening, it would not be but for a few months before I was able to make it out there for a meal after a morning at the US National Whitewater Center; the restaurant is a short 5-6 minute drive from the entrance to the center in downtown Mount Holly.
My first impressions of the location were great. In addition to true ‘cue barbecue, They’ve built out the restaurant to include both a front patio and a back deck but on this early August day it was much too hot for that. The property is a scenic setting off Dutchman’s Creek, an offshoot of the Catawba River. And did I mention Firehawk also brews their own beer?
There is no combo plate, so we ordered individual portions of pork, brisket, and ribs, each coming with sides of a mustard/mayo slaw and cornbread.
The 10 oz pork portion was coarsely shredded but was flavorful and smokey. As with a lot of places these days, they offer a variety of house-made sauces to try with the pork.
Similarly, the quarter-inch slices of brisket came out well-smoked but they could have perhaps used a little more trimming. Good flavor though.
Now, ribs are a place where Firehawk does something a bit different. They smoke a rack of baby-back ribs and then slice them individually, finishing them on an open flame grill to get more surface area of char. While individual ribs can have varying amounts of char, the flavor really did shine through. Apparently, they are the best seller since they opened, and I can see why.
In terms of appetizers, our group really liked the pickled deviled eggs. Along with the slaw and cornbread, we ordered beans and collards, both being above average. Next time I go back, I’m sure if I ordered any of their other sides I would be similarly impressed.
I’m already looking for my next excuse to head back out to Firehawk Brewpub. They are a worthy addition to the Charlotte barbecue scene, and for me is squarely in the top 3 best barbecue restaurants in the area. I can’t wait to bring more potential converts with me.
Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 4 hogs
Pork – 4 hogs
Brisket – 4 hogs
Ribs – 4 hogs
Sides – 4.5 hogs
Overall – 4 hogs
