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Pecan Lodge in Dallas continues to be a must-visit

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Name: Pecan Lodge
Date: 1/6/24
Address: 2702 Main St., Dallas, TX
Order: “The Trough” (1 beef rib, 1lb of pork ribs, 1lb brisket, 1/2 lb of pulled pork & 2 sausage links), half pound turkey, collards, fried okra  (Link To Menu)
Price: $$$

Speedy: On my second day of Dallas, it was time to return to Pecan Lodge, a barbecue mecca that I had not visited since 2018. Arriving at around 10:50 AM, ten minutes prior to opening, my group of three was greeted with a small line of maybe a dozen people ahead of us, far shorter than the last time I visited, in the before times (aka in 2018). After a short wait, it was our turn to order.

When it comes to ordering at Pecan Lodge, you only have to make two decisions: 1) what sides do you want? (we went with collards and okra); and 2) what meat(s) do you want in addition to The Trough (we went with turkey)? I cannot stress this enough – you must order the Trough at Pecan Lodge, regardless of how many people you are with. The only exception is if you have a big group and need to order two or more Troughs. Not that we’ve settled that, let’s talk about the food.

The brisket was just as I remembered – peppery and flavorful – and remains the top dog at Pecan Lodge. There’s not much to say about it other than it remains in my top tier of brisket ever tasted, the likes of which you would be hard pressed to find outside of Texas.

The other 5 hog item from my last review was the beef rib. I’m sorry to report that the beef rib did not quite live up to those 5 hog expectations next time. The rib was still very good – meaty, cooked well, and tender, but I felt it was a little under seasoned this time.

The other meat that I was slightly let down by (mostly due to crazy high expectations) was the pulled pork. While tender, the pork was a little dry this time around, and frankly needed some sauce. Thankfully, there was plenty of vinegar sauce available to remedy this, but the pork was probably my least favorite part of the meal.

On the positive end of the spectrum were the ribs. In my latest review on Terry Black’s Barbecue, I went on the great rib rant of 2024, only for the barbecue gods to deliver me two good rib experiences in a row. I had previously been disappointed by the ribs at the Lodge, but on this date, they were meaty, perfectly cooked, seasoned well, and delicious. I would put them a notch behind Terry Black’s (that glaze was good!) but still very good.

The sausage and turkey were both above average, and the sides were everything I remembered (aka really good); recommended all around.

All of that was a lot of food, which meant tons of leftovers. Which means, dear reader, it’s time for a new category – reheatability.

Monk: Wait a minute, I thought we needed to take a vote to introduce a new category…

Speedy: …I’ve found that reheating barbecue can be a hit or miss activity, causing dry meats to become inedible and otherwise damaging meats that are not seasoned appropriately. None of that was a problem for anything at Pecan Lodge. I’m not sure how they did it but every meat (and the okra!) from Pecan Lodge re-heated wonderfully with 20 minutes in the oven. It was honestly as good heated up later as it was at the restaurant. 5 hogs!

One challenge about going back to the scene of a heavenly barbecue experience is that expectations have changed. There is no surprise left, and anything that is less than perfect is magnified.

Monk: That was…beautiful, Speedy.

Speedy: That said, the meal at Pecan Lodge was still an amazing experience, and among the best meals I’d had in a long time. If you’re in Dallas, it’s still a must visit.

Ratings:
Atmosphere – 4 hogs
Brisket – 5 hogs
Beef Rib – 4 hogs
Pork Ribs – 4.5 hogs
Pulled pork – 3.5 hogs
Sausage – 4 hogs
Turkey – 3.5 hogs
Sides – 4.5 hogs
Re-heatability – 5 hogs
Overall – 5 hogs (the brisket is that good, y’all)

You’ll Find True ‘Cue at Old Hampton Store

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Name: Old Hampton Store & Barbeque
Date: 12/3/23
Location: 77 Ruffin Street, Linville, NC 28646
Order: Pulled pork sandwich with cole slaw
Pricing: $$

Monk: Old Hampton Store & Barbeque (plus a grist mill!) is an old-time mountain country store in Linville in Avery County which is the middle of Christmas tree farm country in NC. After having tried some unique but delicious barbecue at Ridgewood Barbecue, could I possibly get lucky again with another mountain barbecue joint? For those unaware, while there is no true “mountain-style” barbecue in NC, restaurants tend to over sauce their (at many times) gas-assisted pork.

Thankfully, I arrived to find that is not the case with Old Hampton Store, and neat stacks of hickory wood are strewn about the property which also includes an art gallery on the property. Inside the main building with the restaurant, an old-time general store (think a non-corporate Cracker Barrel) is flanked by a small bar and a barbecue counter with a seating area. In that seating area is a small stage, since Old Hampton Store regularly hosts live music; unfortunately nothing on this Sunday afternoon.

My order was simple with a barbecue sandwich with a side of coleslaw. The hickory-smoked pork had a nice smokiness to it, and the bun was of a higher quality than a grocery store bread. A very tasty sandwich, indeed. Now that I’m confident in the quality, next time through I’ll be more adventurous and get some of the smoked wings or homemade pork skins with pimento cheese.

The Monk family had actually tried to visit Old Hampton Store & Barbeque a few years back after hiking nearby Grandfather Mountain, but this family-owned business does close at some point in December until late January or February. So be sure to check ahead if you are planning a visit. I hope to be back, and maybe even catch some live bluegrass.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 4 Hogs
Pork – 4 Hogs
Sides – 3.5 Hogs
Overall – 4 Hogs

The Original Ridgewood Barbecue is a Wholly Unique Barbecue Experience

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Name: The Original Ridgewood Barbecue
Date: 12/2/23
Address: 900 Elizabethton Hwy, Bluff City, TN 37618
Order: BBQ pork sandwich with fries and blue cheese appetizer (link to menu)
Pricing: $

Monk: I’ve mentioned a few times on this blog, but the parents and brothers of Monk have all relocated to Northeast Tennessee within the past few years so I’ve found myself in a part of the country just a few hours away from where I grew up that I had spent no time in my previous 40 years. It was only recently that I put together that The Original Ridgewood Barbecue, a joint I first read about on Marie, Let’s Eat!, was about 15 minutes north of my family’s houses on a mountain road which leads to Bristol Motor Speedway. One of my brothers had recently become a fan, so the extended Monk family arrived right at 11am on a Saturday to try and get in before the rush. And apparently there’s always a rush.

Before we got to the barbecue, the extended Monk family promptly ordered the blue cheese bowl appetizer. Its a house made blue cheese that is served overflowing in a bowl with packets of saltine crackers for dipping. It’s a little thinner than a traditional blue cheese, but its now a must order for me anytime I visit in the future. The blue cheese also works really well with their awesome hand cut potato fries if you can hold off finishing it until you get your fries with your meal.

Ridgewood’s barbecue is famously just the hams of a hog that are smoked over hickory (cut from the nearby family farm) for 8 hours before being chilled overnight with spices. The next day, the barbecue that is served from the hams is thinly sliced, warmed on a flat top grill, and dressed with their famous, sweet sauce and a mayo-based slaw. It’s unique for the area and the state, but its a good kind of unique.

While I didn’t have a full serving, I also tried some of the barbecue beef from my brother’s sandwich. The beef is taken from top round and sliced and prepared in much the same way as the pork barbecue, and I found it to hold the smokiness from the hickory smoke a little better than the hams. I might be tempted to go for that next time I visit.

After my visit, I grew to appreciate the family and the restaurant even more after reading “The Proffitts of Ridgewood: An Appalachian Family’s Life in Barbecue” about the Proffitt family which now has its third generation working at the restaurant. While it may be a completely unique style of barbecue unlike what I normally eat, The Original Ridgewood Barbecue is certainly worth seeking out. Its a northeast Tennessee institution that has been open for over 75 years.

For more on The Original Ridgewood Barbecue:
Serious Eats (2020)
Marie, Let’s Eat! (2014)
Southern Foodways Alliance (2009)

Ratings:
Atmosphere – 4 hogs
Pork – 4 hogs
Sides – 4 hogs
Overall – 4 hogs

The 5 Best Barbecue Joints in Charlotte – December 2023

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Monk: It’s hard to believe that our last Charlotte best of post came way back in 2019. Then, I speculated that perhaps some big names could open second (or even third) outposts of established barbecue restaurants in Charlotte, but that hasn’t happened. No Bryan Furman, no Sam Jones, no Rodney Scott. In my mind, only one legit barbecue restaurant has opened since then (more on that later). In terms of announcements 2024 will have at least one promising new barbecue joint in the form of Edmar Simoes (formerly of Sauceman’s and Noble Smoke) bringing true ‘cue to Resident Culture Brewing.

Unfortunately, a couple of longtime barbecue joints on the 2019 list did close: Bill Spoon’s closed in September 2020 after 57 years in operation while honorable mention Buddy’s Bar-B-Que in Belmont closed in February 2022 after 25 years open. 

Hopefully this trend does not continue because if longtime restaurants keep closing while newer restaurants don’t quite stack up, that does not pose well for Charlotte barbecue in the near term. Which would mean Charlotte is nowhere near being on the path to following in the barbecue footsteps of Charleston (much less Houston). Something to keep an eye on in 2024.

The rest of the list

Honorable Mention: The Smoke Pit

Midwood Smokehouse did open a location in Raleigh this year, but otherwise seems to have smartly slowed down when it comes to expansion. That allows them to maintain consistency of barbecue being pumped out of the onsite J&R Oyler wood-fired smokers at each site. Multiple locations midwoodsmokehouse.com

Firehawk Brewpub is the new kid on the block this time around. Opening in the spring of 2023 in Mount Holly just minutes away from the US National Whitewater Center west of Charlotte, they are not only cranking out legit wood-smoked barbecue but they’re also brewing some darn good beer as well. All in a nice setting along the banks of Dutchman’s Creek, an offshoot of the Catawba River. 309 N Main St, Mt Holly, NC 28120 firehawkbrewpub.com

Sweet Lew’s BBQ recently celebrated 5 years open, a nice milestone for the ever-changing Belmont neighborhood restaurant. They continue to be a mainstay in that neighborhood aiming to “feed the people” and recently introduced a “Mill Town Meal” where a rotating main item will be available for $5. With the quality that they have been producing for half a decade, that’s a nice price for what will surely be some delicious dishes. 923 Belmont Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205 sweetlewsbbq.com

Noble Smoke expanded in 2022, but ever so slightly with a stall at Optimist Hall Food Hall. The barbecue for both locations is smoked at their original location, a barbecue palace in West Charlotte, to maintain quality. 2216 Freedom Dr, Charlotte, NC 28208 noblesmokebarbecue.com

Jon G’s Barbecue still remains the best of the best in Charlotte. They are remarkable in their consistency of product, whether it be at the restaurant in Peachland or their weekly food truck services around the greater Charlotte area. Kelly and Jon have made Barbecue Saturdays in Peachland a destination event worthy of travelers from all across the southeast and even United States. 116 Glenn Falls St, Peachland, NC 28133 jongsbarbecue.com