Linkdown: 1/24/24 – The Buc-ee’s Coming to Mebane Edition

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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:

  • Jon G’s Barbecue – Peachland
  • Dampf Good BBQ – Cary
  • Old Colony Smokehouse – Edenton
  • Lawrence Barbecue – Durham
  • Sweet Lew’s BBQ – Charlotte
  • Union Barbecue – Charlotte
  • Redwood Smoke – Norfolk, VA

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.

Native News

At Morris Barbeque in Hookerton in the 60s, Joe the Monkey was a regular fixture

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

New hours for Clyde Cooper’s in Raleigh

ICYMI Buc-ees is coming to Mebane

Non-Native News

Daniel Vaughn remembers John Brotherton

City Limits Barbeque is selling their own pimento cheese now

Direct-heat ribs vs smoked ribs: who you got???

Linkdown: 1/17/24 – The RIP John Brotherton Edition

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Monk: RIP to John Brotherton of Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue of Plugerville, TX (north of Austin) who passed away on Monday at the age of 49. His son posted the update on the restaurant’s Facebook page:

I never got the chance to try the man’s food, but the outpouring of heartbreak and love on social media for the man over the past few weeks signifies that he was certainly a highly regarded pitmaster and most importantly, man. My thoughts go out to his family.

Just a few of the many tributes posted online: