– We are honored to be recently added to the list of patrons of True ‘Cue alongside our buddy Grant from Marie, Let’s Eat
– Grant tries a “catfish” sandwich from Scott’s-Parker’s BBQ, which is not a fish sandwich as you might expect based on the name
New blog post: We enjoy the excellent chopped pork and “catfish” sandwiches at Scott’s-Parker #BBQ in Lexington TN. https://t.co/8gljp4rjXu pic.twitter.com/2qSLdIAOs6
— Grant Goggans (@MarieLetsEat) May 5, 2017
– Not a good look, pt 2: An update on the Smithfield’s v Raleigh PD story, which may have been greatly embellished
– Good news from our new-ish Charlotte #1: Jon G’s BBQ is getting a food trailer
– One of the things you may not have known about Cheerwine (but probably did if you grew up in NC): Cheerwine is often the number one or two brands sold at BBQ restaurants
– Three Wilson men were honored by the Chamber of Commerce last week
While the trio don’t date back to Parker Barbecue’s opening in 1946, they have been a part of the iconic restaurant on U.S. 301 for more than a century collectively. Williams joined the staff in 1963 as a waiter before heading into the kitchen to cook ‘cue alongside one of the original owners, Ralph Parker. He stepped into an ownership role in 1987, eventually bringing Lamm and Lippard along for the ride. Lippard started working in the kitchen in his twenties while Lamm started in 1985.
– Speaking of Parker’s, Our State Magazine tweeted out their profile of them back in 2013
In Wilson, Parker’s is an institution. Each week, it smokes about 150 whole hogs and fries about 8,000 chickens. https://t.co/cwLVXe6KYk pic.twitter.com/hu2z1tDh1B
— Our State Magazine (@ourstatemag) May 9, 2017
– Could barbecue be why Seymour Johnson Air Force Base near Goldsboro came to be? That’s apparently how the story goes, according to writer Julian Pleasants
And, Pleasants writes with a smile, the Seymour Johnson air base came about when “the War Department, in search of delicious eastern North Carolina barbecue,” designated the municipal airport near Goldsboro “as essential to national defense.”
– Some of our favorite pitmasters – Sam Jones, Elliott Moss, John Lewis, among others – will be in Greenville, SC in September for a barbecue brunch as part of Euphoria Greenville
– The new Whole Foods store in south Charlotte is having a barbecue and bluegrass opening on May 20; no word on where the barbecue is from
– The latest location of Midwood Smokehouse opens Thursday, May 18
– Charlotte Agenda includes dishes from Bar-B-Q King, Bill Spoon’s, and Art’s Barbecue & Deli on this list of 50 must-try Charlotte cheap eats under $10
50 must-try Charlotte Cheap Eats under $10
https://t.co/nfja0VyFeZ pic.twitter.com/b476cZo0z9— Charlotte Agenda (@charlotteagenda) May 8, 2017
– Skylight Inn and Heirloom Market Bar-B-Que make the list
13 people, 12 states, hundreds of meals: Eater’s definitive list of the 38 essential restaurants in the South https://t.co/s6bFzdMant pic.twitter.com/6qHRNP955g
— Eater (@Eater) March 23, 2017
– Marie, Let’s Eat! goes deep on the old Coleman’s BBQ chain, which used to have 176 stores across the southeast but is now down to just 2 in Mississippi
– From Robert Moss, a history of how the beef rib became an Instagram star
Gigantic. Instagram-friendly. The “foie gras of beef.” Here’s how Texas beef ribs became BBQ’s newest star. https://t.co/W0Ac9kXmeI pic.twitter.com/eZbW86g6bX
— First We Feast (@firstwefeast) March 23, 2017
– The Charlotte Pitmasters, at least for July 15
.@Knightsbaseball will make all your barbecue dreams come true when they become the Pitmasters: https://t.co/mPdFpWOI8q pic.twitter.com/x0k05yybRB
— Cut4 (@Cut4) March 17, 2017
– Cheerwine’s Centennial Celebration in Salisbury on May 20 will have a “People’s Choice BBQ Competition”
– Speaking of which, here’s the story of how Cheerwine came to be 100 years ago from Our State Magazine as well as Eater
A sugar shortage during World War I led the inventor of Cheerwine to experiment with cherry flavoring. https://t.co/AIOUyyj8me
— Our State Magazine (@ourstatemag) March 23, 2017
Name: The Smoke Pit
Date: 2/11/17
Address: 117 E Innes St, Salisbury, NC 28144
Order: Three meat combo (brisket, sausage, ribs) with baked beans and fries (link to menu)
Price: $28.95
Monk: On occasions such as my birthday, the Monk clan meets my parents (and occasionally the in-laws, like my mother-in-law this time) in Salisbury which is conveniently located exactly halfway between Charlotte and High Point. Lo and behold, The Smoke Pit, a favorite of ours in Concord, opened a second location there about a month ago. So that was an easy decision.
This location is an old brick building in Salisbury’s historic downtown and is a sit-down, full service restaurant as opposed to the fast casual model of the original location. It does have a bar and serves local beer on draft from New Sarum Brewing, Salisbury’s only brewery which is located just a few blocks away. I don’t recall the Concord location having beer on draft, so this is a welcome change.
Splitting a three meat tray with my dad, I went with the Texas Trinity – brisket, ribs, and sausage. As is the case in Concord, the portions are huge and this tray ended up being far more than my dad and I could even come close to eating for lunch that day. We each took home a box, so it really made for about 4 servings.
The brisket was well smoked if not perhaps a little on the fatty side (a choice of lean vs fatty isn’t offered). The two links of sausage come pre-sliced and was my favorite meat of the meal, particularly when dipped in the mustard. The ribs came a little too easily off the bone but still had good flavor. All were very good and consistent from the last time I went to the Concord location.
As for sides, the beans were standard and the fries had nice seasoning. The Texas toast and cornbread that came with the meal were both nice accompaniments, with the cornbread being of the sweeter variety that I always like.
After my meal, I traded Facebook comments with Joey, who manages both restaurants. He is splitting his time between the two locations, and I think it shows when it comes to the consistency. The Smoke Pit has done well with their Salisbury location, and based on a packed lunch on a Saturday, I think the town is a fan.
Ratings:
Atmosphere – 3.5 hogs
Brisket – 4 hogs
Ribs – 3.5 hogs
Sausage – 4 hogs
Sides – 3.5 hogs
Overall – 4 hogs
