Perhaps the greatest map ever (though @BBQsnob and others might prefer it a little beefier). pic.twitter.com/WLlgit35g1
— True ‘Cue (@TrueCueBBQ)
NC
The Great NC BBQ Map
With over 250 restaurants, shacks, and eateries, this road map will be the most comprehensive listing of NC BBQ joints to be found. Everything will be included on the NC barbecue spectrum, from those hole-in-the-wall, weekday-only heritage spots to the new-fangled, spiffed-up interpretations. Hey, we don’t judge – we’re leaving that up to you!
The NC BBQ map will resemble any other road map that you’ve used: around 18” x 28” flat, folded up into a typical 4” x 9” size for carrying around with you wherever you go. And you’ll want to keep this map in your glove box, because it’ll be handy any time you find yourself on the road in North Carolina craving a little ‘cue. It’s good for grabbing a weekday lunch, finding a perfect road trip meal, or planning an entire barbecue tour around your area of choice.
This will be an easy-to-use map that will be as practical as it is good-looking. We’ll bring in some classic BBQ imagery through the map symbols and graphics. A symbol for each restaurant on the map will give you its basic BBQ facts in just a glance. Map symbols will designate 3 basic BBQ facts: (1) whether the ‘cue is whole hog or made with part of the pig, (2) if it has Piedmont or Eastern style sauce, and (3) if its an eatery that smokes their meat the traditional way.
Turn the map over for a list of each restaurant with address, phone number, and hours, as well as a little North Carolina barbecue history. And if 250 barbecue joints aren’t enough to satisfy your appetite, a list of annual NC barbecue festivals will also be included.
A neat idea from a couple right in the Barbecue Bros backyard of Charlotte. The Kickstarter is funding through March 27, with the maps expected to be delivered in June. Pledges range from $1 to $2500 and if you pledge $100 and above you get “1 ticket to exclusive launch party at Charlotte’s NoDa Brewing Company featuring NC BBQ; 1 signed map & swag bag full of “I got my pork pulled in North Carolina” items & other themed goodies.”
-Monk
Linkdown: 2/26/14
– Vote for your favorite barbecue restaurant in Charlotte Magazine’s Best of the Best Awards for dining and nightlife here. May we kindly suggest the current Barbecue Bros fave and True ‘Cue approved Midwood Smokehouse.
– The James Beard Award semifinalists were named last week and several Fatback Collective team members were honored
Proud of our brothers & sister for their #jbfa nominations. @hseanbrock @greekporker @poolesdiner @herbsaintdining @PecheNOLA @robcmcdaniel
— FatBack Collective (@FatBackTeam)
– Speaking of which, the preliminary Rodney Scott In Exile totals are in and approximately $81,000 was raised
– Austin’s La Barbeque is named one of GQ’s best restaurants in America for 2014
– Pride and Joy BBQ’s future NYC location runs into more issues (via)
– South Carolina barbecue chain owner (and noted racist) Maurice Bessinger has died; Southern Foodways has their take on his death
– Firefighters responded to a fire at Old Hickory House in Charlotte earlier today; I haven’t seen anything further about the extent of the damage
– The NC State student paper The Technician had a short profile on Bob Garner, who is currently serving as “minister of barbecue culture” at The Pit in Durham
“My job [as minister of culture] is much more cultural than it is technical,” Garner said. “I do everything from developing new variations of recipes from the original menu, to training staff and taking plates out to the table. Customers faces are shocked to see me and it gives me a conversation starter that allows me to do what I love the most, interact with customers.”
– After not opening in Fall 2013 due to construction issues, Ed Mitchell’s ‘Que (who he is opening along with his son) is now shooting for an April 1 opening in downtown Durham
Richard’s Bar-B-Que – Salisbury, NC
Name: Richard’s Bar-B-Que
Date: 2/14/14
Address: 522 N Main St, Salisbury NC 28144
Order: Chopped barbecue plate with hush puppies, slaw, macaroni and cheese, and Cheerwine (link to menu)
Price: ~$8
While not exactly known for being a barbecue town, Salisbury is home to not one but two barbecue joints on the NC Historical Barbecue Trail (as well as M&K Barbecue in nearby Granite Quarry). It is also the original home to the finest (non-alcoholic) beverage to enjoy with barbecue, Cheerwine (sorry, sweet tea).
Richard’s is in an unassuming building tucked on Main Street in downtown Salisbury. Inside, Richard’s smallish interior nearly smacks you in the face with its southern country decor while old school country music plays in the background (well, before the switch to the 70’s station for the lunch hour, anyways).
The pork was a nice mix of bark and shoulder that was slightly coarsely chopped (apparently due to being hand chopped). My serving had good tenderness and moistness with a fair amount of smoke. The table sauce was more of a spicy thin sauce than you would expect to find in the Piedmont but complemented the barbecue just about perfectly.
The hush puppies were some of the largest ones I’ve seen at a NC joint but also some of the best. Several of them had visible onions when you bit into them which might have normally turned me off a little bit except for the fact that they were an almost perfect mix of savory and sweet. The slaw had visible diced tomatoes, a first that I’ve noticed, but otherwise was a classic red slaw. The less said about the mac and cheese the better.
I previously stated that despite doing things the right way, fellow Salisbury joint Wink’s was not quite worth pulling off 85 and you should continue onto Lexington if you have a hankering for real barbecue. While Richard’s Bar-B-Que certainly doesn’t match Lexington, I would be more inclined to stop over there than I would Wink’s. They both cook barbecue over wood, but Richard’s has the red slaw and the slightly spicy thin sauce, giving it the edge in my mind if you want barbecue in Salisbury.
-Monk
Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 4 hogs
Pork – 3.5 hogs
Sides – 4 hogs
Overall – 3.5 Hogs
