Monk: YouTuber Mikey Chen tries lechon, or Filipino roast pork, at ORC Filipino Asian/American BBQ in Dallas, which was recently featured in Texas Monthly. There, owners Allen and Jho Cook roast the pork in the Filipino tradition over live coals, and that pork is accompanied by sides and other dishes from Jho’s hometown of Abuyog in the Leyte province of the Philippines. The ORC segment lasts from 2:15-10:20.
Description: Stumbled upon a truly delicious Filipino food experience in Dallas Texas where entire Lechons were roasted in the traditional way. Then went to try some unique Vietnamese fusion food as well as some cheesy Korean Fried Chicken!
Restaurants I went to: ORC Filipino Asian/American BBQ https://www.facebook.com/ORC-Filipino… Taste of Philippines 565 W Oates Rd 110, Garland, TX 75043 Cris and John 5555 Preston Oaks Rd UNIT 5, Dallas, TX 75254 Ddong Ggo TX 2625 Old Denton Rd Ste 322 Dallas, TX 75007
Name: Whispering Pines BBQ Address: 1421 US-52, Albemarle, NC 28001 Order: Chopped pork tray with red slaw, hush puppies, Cheerwine (link to menu) Pricing: $
Monk: After lunch at Log Cabin BBQ and a short hike with the Monkettes at Morrow Mountain State Park, the plan was to hit up Whispering Pines on the way out of town back to Charlotte and maybe get the girls some dessert or ice cream. That is, until we pulled into the parking lot and I sadly realized it was drive through or curbside service only.
Nevertheless, once I realized the situation I got in one of two drive through lines and snapped a photo of the woodpile while waiting in line. That’s right, because while Log Cabin BBQ utilizes a gas assist wood smoker, Whispering Pines is all wood and deserved of their place on True Cue’s list of wood-smoked NC barbecue joints. Read a little more about the family behind both joints in my Log Cabin review linked above.
I ordered my tray, paid for it in cash (no cards accepted here), and headed to a Dairy Queen 20 minutes down the road in the town of Locust, NC. There, I ordered the Monkettes a Blizzard and cone and had some bites in the front seat of my car.
While the pork had less bark than what Log Cabin served, there was definitely a more pronounced wood smoke flavor. I wished I had eaten here first, and that I had been able to eat it inside the restaurant. I feasted off the leftover pork for a few more meals at home over the next few days, putting it on Martin’s potato rolls which made for a fantastic sandwich.
The slaw was a little too coarsely chopped for me, and maybe even a little on the sweet side. The hush puppies were standard.
Overall, a good experience (albeit takeout) from Whispering Pines BBQ. I will definitely try to make it back once they reopen inside dining.
Name: Log Cabin BBQ Address: 2322 US-52, Albemarle, NC 28001 Order: Chopped pork tray with red slaw, hush puppies, Cheerwine (link to menu) Pricing: $
Monk: Albemarle, NC is a small town of less than 16,000 about an hour east of Charlotte on the Pee Dee River and bordering the Uwharrie National Forest. It’s also home to two well-regarded classic NC barbecue joints, each one stemming from the same family.
Lonnie Doby opened Whispering Pines in 1945 and later married Lavada Galloway. Lavada’s sister Edith and brother Darrell worked at Whispering Pines for some time before Edith and Darrell left to open Darrell’s BBQ in nearby Rockwell. Eventually, Edith purchased the building for Wink’s Barbecue in 1991 with one of her sons and renamed it to Log Cabin Bar-B-Que. We’ll get to Whispering Pines soon, but we’ll start with Log Cabin BBQ this week.
Log Cabin is not just a clever name, and dark wood lines the interior of the restaurant which is more or less your classic NC barbecue restaurant setup with waitress-serviced tables where you pay up front.
What wasn’t clear was whether or not Log Cabin was a classic NC joint that still smoked with wood. True ‘Cue lists Log Cabin as an all wood-smoked joint but The Great NC BBQ Map says its a wood-assisted gasser. Out back is a big enclosed smokehouse, however I wasn’t able to place eyes on their setup to confirm which source had their information right. After some digging, it appears that The Great NC BBQ Map had it right (I believe they called each restaurant to confirm cooking method, so makes sense) and Log Cabin uses what looks to be a Southern Pride rotisserie based on the smoker photos I could find.
Nevertheless, the chopped pork that came out had decent smoke and with some dashes of the table vinegar sauce it really sang.
Log Cabin offers both a red and a white slaw though their red slaw curiously came with bits of diced green peppers, something I hadn’t seen before. The freshly-fried hush puppies came in larger orbs and only 3 per tray but were quite good.
While Log Cabin BBQ may not be carrying on the tradition of wood-smoked North Carolina barbecue, they do serve some great pork. Plus, it’s part of a great story of a family’s barbecue legacy that isn’t too widely known from what I can see.
Speedy: I had heard about Hubba Hubba Smokehouse a few years ago and had always wanted to go, but due to seasonal opening and limited hours, along with being tucked away in Flat Rock, NC, I hadn’t had the chance to make it over. However, the recent retirement and move of Mama and Papa Speedy to just 20 miles away afforded me the opportunity on my latest visit.
Monk: Hopefully you heard about them when I visited a couple years ago and also when we profiled their pitmaster Spencer Purcell. But you may have also heard of them from their addition to the Historic NC Barbecue Trail a few years back.
Speedy: Hubba Hubba is tucked away in a small plaza off Greenville Highway, along with a couple of other food establishments. The building itself is a small brick building that holds the smokehouse and kitchen, with all of their seating outside. I went to the counter and placed my order, then found a seat in the courtyard.
My name was called in short order and it was time to dig in. I judge any NC barbecue restaurant on the pulled pork, and Hubba Hubba passed that test with flying colors. The pork was tender, smoky, and moist. I didn’t add any of the sauces available, but I do think the vinegar sauce would have added a little tang (they also have a NC sweet and a mustard sauce). While I prefer finer chopped pork (Lexington style), overall, I enjoyed this pulled pork quite a lot, and will order again.
Monk: I tried the pork with their vinegar sauce just a week earlier myself while passing through on my way to Brevard, and it was definitely a great combo.
Speedy: There have been a few places in the Carolinas doing Texas-style brisket, but Hubba Hubba’s is different. It does not have the same richness and peppery bark, but still has good peppery taste. For one bite, I prefer the Texas-style, but also there was not the same gut-bomb feeling after eating. I think this brisket is better suited for a sandwich, but still solid, if not spectacular.
Monk: Agreed that they aren’t trying to replicate a central Texas-style brisket, but I also dug what they are doing.
Speedy: I usually just gloss over sides both when eating and reviewing barbecue restaurants, but every once in a while, there’s a side that’s just so good that it deserves some extra attention. The collard greens fit that bill. They were fresh, tangy, and delicious, with bits of pork included. Overall, these were among the very best collards I’ve had and a must order.
The sautéed slaw was not my favorite, as I like the contrast of crisp and crunchy slaw in a barbecue meal, so I’d probably skip those next time. However, pitmaster Spencer was nice enough to bring me a side of a new menu item – the Brunswick stew. According to Spencer, this will be added to the menu soon, and that’s something I’m happy about. The stew was a little sweeter than I’m used to in a Brunswick stew, but very flavorful. Another very solid item.
Monk: Looking back, I’m surprised we didn’t order the collards on my previous visit but I’ll have to get them next time along with that delicious-sounding Brunswick stew.
Speedy: Overall, Hubba Hubba Smokehouse is one of the better barbecue meals that I’ve had in Western NC. I’m glad to finally have the opportunity to check it out and hope to be back soon.
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