Monk: Charlotte FC has taken the town by storm, setting the MLS attendance record in its first home match, and getting folks excited about soccer. A couple of weeks ahead of their first match, they spotlighted Lewis Donald and Sweet Lewβs BBQ in the above video. Sweet Lewβs is one of our favorite places in town, and Lewis is doing far more than barbecue. Heβs serving the Belmont neighborhood
Lewis Donald
Linkdown: 3/16/22
Native News
A couple of the pitmasters for the upcoming Carolina Barbecue Festival in Charlotte on May 22nd: Bryan Furman and Matthew Register
Not to be outdone, the Pinehurst Barbecue Festival has been announcing pitmasters for the Prieto Pitmaster Invitational at its festival, including Brandon Shepard of Shepard Barbecue, Melanie Dunia of The Pit, Ron Simmons of Master Blend Family Farms, and Lewis Donald of Sweet Lewβs BBQ
Noble Smokeβs stall has opened at Optimist Hall as of Monday, 3/14
Jon Gβs will be smoking meat for a barbecue and wine event on the last day of the Charlotte Wine & Food Festival
Pretty cool: actor Eric Wareheim made it all the way from LA to Peachland for a Barbecue Saturday last weekend
Non-Native News
Blakeβs BBQ has its final days in the trailer this week
In Austin for SXSW?
The latest reader-generated list from Southern Living
Charlotte Barbecue News from the Fourth Quarter of 2021
Monk: We enter the new year with cautious optimism, both on the real world as well as barbecue world fronts. My hope for 2022 is that we can regain any Charlotte barbecue momentum that has largely been on pause for the past two years and see some new players enter the game.
Bring it on, 2022.
October
10/12 At Macβs Speed Shop, beef ribs and bacon-wrapped jalapenos are two of the prep-intensive items that are being taken off the menu for now
10/21 Jon Gβs was featured in the Fall 2021 Issue of QC Exclusive
10/28 Lewis Donald and Sweet Lewβs BBQ raised funds to help the family of a young girl who tragically took her own life at the age of 11
November
11/8 Macβs Speed Shop is closing its Cornelius restaurant but opening a new one in Mooresville
11/8 A new live-fire cooking restaurant called Cinder is opening in Charlotte from Husk veteran Duke Kroger (who identifies himself as a pitmaster in his Twitter profile)
11/17 After announcing that its Lake Norman location was going to close, Macβs Speed Shop announced plans for the restaurant to stay open as a smaller location after an outpouring of love from the community
11/29 Jon Gβs Barbecue and Salud Beer Shop team up for a pizza collaboration for the month of December
December
12/6 Sweet Lewβs BBQ celebrated 3 years open
12/8 Jon Gβs Barbecue is named βBarbecue Restaurant of the Yearβ by Eater Carolinas
12/9 Tony Salerno Named Vice President of Operations for Macβs Hospitality Group
12/13 Local coverage of Jon Gβs being named βBarbecue Restaurant of the Yearβ by Eater Carolinas
12/13 With itβs upcoming stall at Optimist Hall, Noble Smoke is one Charlotte-area restaurant in expansion mode in 2022
12/29 Jon Gβs and Salud Beer Shop announce they will continue their pizza collab in the new year for the first part of January
Linkdown: 11/10/21
Featured
The Local Palate and writer Jenn Rice detail a pretty action-packed eastern North Carolina barbecue itinerary. The usual suspects are on the list including Barbecue Bros faves Wilberβs Barbecue and Southern Smoke BBQ, but there are plenty of ones I havenβt tried yet. Bookmarking for next Spring.
Native News
A new live-fire cooking restaurant called Cinder is opening in Charlotte from Husk veteran Duke Kroger (who identifies as a pitmaster in his Twitter profile)
Macβs Speed Shop is closing its Cornelius restaurant but opening a new one in Mooresville
Jon Gβs was featured in the Fall 2021 Issue of QC Exclusive
ICYMI last month, Boxyard RTP and Lawrence Barbecue are one of the 12 hottest restaurants in the Triangle
The Smoking Ho takes on North Carolina starting with Buxton Hall #CarHOlinaBBQTrip
Lewis Donald and Sweet Lewβs BBQ raised funds to help the family of a young girl who tragically took her own life at the age of 11
Non-Native News
Heim Barbecueβs Dallas location will be closed for a few weeks after a fire but its Fort Worth locations remain open
Last weekβs Georgia barbecue-focused The Smoke Sheet
The SmoKing of Meats is Joe Musungi, who blends Filipino and Texas barbecue
Are barbecue lines a thing of the past?
New-ish barbecue joint Palmira BBQ is one of the stalls at Port of Call