Linkdown: 5/1/24 – The It’s Gonna be May Edition

Monk: April was a busy month for ol’ Monk here, but we’re back with the first linkdown in a while. Hoping to get back to a more regular schedule now.

Native News

John Tanner on Bum’s in Ayden

The 40th Lexington Barbecue Festival will be on October 26

ICYMI

Non-Native News

John Tanner has started a “survey of SC barbecue and hash” if you want to follow along on his blog; here are the first entries

Damien Brockway of Distant Relatives and Deepa Shridhar are teaming up for a barbecue-Indian lunch service this week

Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ‘s Buda restaurant is temporarily closed while they sell to new management

The Pit Room‘s second location is now open in Memorial, TX

On a recent trip to NYC, Daniel Vaughn finds some promise in Bark Barbecue, located in a stall in the Time Out Market food hall, but also finds that the city’s best barbecue days may be behind it

Congrats to Meat Church on 10 Years!

Linkdown: 12/7/22 – The Rodney Scott and Eric Church Joint Venture Edition

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Monk: Country music star (and NC native) Eric Church has shared the first digital renderings of Chief’s, his upcoming venture with Rodney Scott. Not content to have just a honky tonk joint with great whole hog barbecue, the building will also house a studio for live broadcasts (such as Church’s SiriusXM show).

Chief’s will open in downtown Nashville in 2023.

Native News

More pink barbecue merchandise now available at Clyde Cooper’s in Raleigh

A short profile on Buxton Hall Barbecue‘s executive chef Nick

The Cheef will be at Oskar Blues Brevard’s 10th anniversary party this coming weekend serving tacos and sandwiches

Midwood Smokehouse, Mac’s Speed Shop, and Noble Smoke are options in Charlotte to bypass Christmas cooking

Midwood Smokehouse‘s upcoming Raleigh location will be more Tex-Mex

Non-Native News

Hogs for the Cause announces its 2023 lineup

Barbecue historian Joe Haynes has a new barbecue book out, just in time for the holidays

John Turner’s been making the rounds at your favorite places in Texas:

City Market in Luling

Smitty’s Market in Lockhart

Terry Black’s in Austin

Valentina’s in Austin

Pinkerton’s in Houston

And finally, Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que in Brownsville

Defining east vs central Texas barbecue, Open AI chat bot style

Friday Find: Weathersbeef BBQ Checks out Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ

Monk: Charlotte-based vlogger Brian Weathersbee reviews Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ in Austin, Texas, where he enjoys their fusion of barbecue and Mexican food and even gets a chance to chat with pitmaster Miguel Vidal.

Description: This experience was 10/10. Valentina’s brisket, ribs, chopped beef and pork was amazing. Then infused with a Mexican flair was even better. Miguel and I got the opportunity to talk for 15/20 minutes, I was honored and will cherish this experience. This won’t be our last visit.

Linkdown: 4/28/21

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Mr. Barbecue re-opened last month after two years of closure due to a fire, but thankfully owner Jimmy Carros never considered either a) closing or b) not rebuilding the wood-burning smoke pits. To quote him from the Eater story below:

“The thought never really entered my mind,” Carros said.

“The flavor that you get from the wood-burning pits is not easily matched,” he explained. “I’m not saying it’s impossible, but I’m not sure I can do it.”

As a classic NC barbecue fan and one who enjoyed his visit to Mr. Barbecue a few months before the fire, I heap the highest of praise to Carros for that thinking. And others appreciate it too, as Mr. Barbecue was recently recognized in the Eater’s Carolinas list of best restaurants in Winston-Salem.

Mr. Barbecue is currently open for drive-thru orders only.

Native News

Thank goodness Grady’s made it out of the pandemic; now I just need to get there

In what was (somewhat embarrassingly) one of the oldest barbecue restaurant’s in Charlotte, the Tyvola Rd. outpost of the Sonny’s BBQ chain closes this Friday

K&N BBQ makes Axios Charlotte’s list of best food trucks; and they recommend you try the pork and brisket

Picnic and Bullock’s Bar-B-Cue make Eater’s list for Durham

Adam Richman (of Man vs Food fame) visited Midwood Smokehouse last week

Non-Native News

Black Smoke is now out, and this in except from the book; the story of Marie Jean of Pine Bluff, AR and her role in barbecue history is uncovered

John Tanner’s Barbecue Page has a fascinating story about barbecue and the law in the landmark case of Katzenbach v. McClung and Ollie’s in Birmingham

Robert Sietsema releases his latest barbecue list for NYC for Eater

Sietsema’s also got the deets on where to get a Frito Pie in NYC, including Mable’s Smokehouse in Williamsburg

I’m seeing the house made sausage trend in NC more too

Congrats to Eliana Gutierrez for one year as a pitmaster at Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ