NC BBQ

frazzdaddy

https://www.wral.com/colbert-calls-nc-bbq-fans-poor-flavor-deprived/18158380/

Obviously I'm biased. What say you?

DoubleEgger

I used to think it was good before I knew any better. I ate at Honey Monks a year or two ago and was blown away at how terrible it was. I had hyped it up to the wifey too...

Carolina Q

Never tried Honey Monks, or any western/Lex style for that matter, but I don't think I've ever had NC Q that I didn't like. Even the mustard I had in Cola was pretty good. Putting ketchup in BBQ (and SLAW!) might kill it though.

frazzdaddy

I do agree some can be pretty bland when you go with some of the chains, Smithfields,Danny's ect. but the wood smoked authentic is still PDG

Carolina Q

I read somewhere that, when Wilber Shirley dies, Wilber's will no longer be allowed to cook with wood! Air quality ordinance or some such. Air Quality! In Goldsboro! How bad can it BE?! Other than Seymour Johnson... and Wilber's... what's there that's polluting anything?

northGAcock

MacPa

Visited my son last week in NC. After a swan hunt (30+ year tradition) the guys stopped at a BBQ joint for lunch. I tried their vinegar base sauce on pulled pork, I didn't like it. The pork had no smoke flavor at all. Sorry I don't remember the place name or even the town it was in but SC BBQ didn't make a very good impression on me.

Eggcelsior

MacPa said:

Visited my son last week in NC. After a swan hunt (30+ year tradition) the guys stopped at a BBQ joint for lunch. I tried their vinegar base sauce on pulled pork, I didn't like it. The pork had no smoke flavor at all. Sorry I don't remember the place name or even the town it was in but SC BBQ didn't make a very good impression on me.

If you're having SC bbq in NC, you're doing it wrong.

JohnInCarolina

I live here and have tried the Q at what are ostensibly some of the best places in the state.  I wasn’t impressed.

In Durham the best Q we have is at Picnic.   It’s a relatively new place so it doesn’t quite have the rep yet, but that’s where I’d send people for high quality stuff.   The Q shack is also pretty good, but it’s Central Texas style.  

nolaegghead

Smoked meat should be judged without sauce.  All these regional variations are just differences in sauce and it make me homicidal.

buzd504

nolaegghead said:

Smoked meat should be judged without sauce.  All these regional variations are just differences in sauce and it make me homicidal.

I heart east Carolina vinegar sauce on pork.

DoubleEgger

nolaegghead said:

Smoked meat should be judged without sauce.  All these regional variations are just differences in sauce and it make me homicidal.

Agreed except for the homicidal part. Lol. Sauce means you’re trying to cover up something. 

alaskanassasin

I miss a good pig picken

6baluts

I haven't been to Bunns BBQ (Windsor NC) in years but they used to have a great sammy. Used cornbread as the bun. Might have to make a run down their again.
Agree sauce hides a bad product. On the side for me.

northGAcock

nolaegghead said:

Smoked meat should be judged without sauce.  All these regional variations are just differences in sauce and it make me homicidal.

Come on Cary..there is no need to start wearing dresses over a little sauce.

frazzdaddy

Carolina Q said:

I read somewhere that, when Wilber Shirley dies, Wilber's will no longer be allowed to cook with wood! Air quality ordinance or some such. Air Quality! In Goldsboro! How bad can it BE?! Other than Seymour Johnson... and Wilber's... what's there that's polluting anything?

I hate to hear that. That place is a landmark.

UNCHeels08

JohnInCarolina said:

I live here and have tried the Q at what are ostensibly some of the best places in the state.  I wasn’t impressed.

In Durham the best Q we have is at Picnic.   It’s a relatively new place so it doesn’t quite have the rep yet, but that’s where I’d send people for high quality stuff.   The Q shack is also pretty good, but it’s Central Texas style.  

I still need to get over and try Picnic. For an under the radar spot that I love (and only 10 minutes from where I live) - have you tried Johnson’s on 98 a few miles east of 70?

JohnInCarolina

UNCHeels08 said:

JohnInCarolina said:

I live here and have tried the Q at what are ostensibly some of the best places in the state.  I wasn’t impressed.

In Durham the best Q we have is at Picnic.   It’s a relatively new place so it doesn’t quite have the rep yet, but that’s where I’d send people for high quality stuff.   The Q shack is also pretty good, but it’s Central Texas style.  

I still need to get over and try Picnic. For an under the radar spot that I love (and only 10 minutes from where I live) - have you tried Johnson’s on 98 a few miles east of 70?

I have not.  

nolaegghead

northGAcock said:

nolaegghead said:

Smoked meat should be judged without sauce.  All these regional variations are just differences in sauce and it make me homicidal.

Come on Cary..there is no need to start wearing dresses over a little sauce.

My default state is homicidal, not worked up at (...kill...kill...) all (...die....die...).

HogFather

alaskanassasin said:

I miss a good pig picken

That’s probably my kid you’re talking about...

bucky925

We were raised on Lexington style BBQ, in fact, I have a quart of vinegar sauce running through my veins at all times.     I like honey monks, but much prefer College BBQ or Richards.   How about you @bubbajack

bubbajack

bucky925 said:

We were raised on Lexington style BBQ, in fact, I have a quart of vinegar sauce running through my veins at all times.     I like honey monks, but much prefer College BBQ or Richards.   How about you @bubbajack

Honey Monk is as good high volume BBQ. No telling how many people they serve everyday. Their red slaw is maybe some of the best and I do not even like it.

College BBQ is cooked in a 35 year old in house smoker cooked with Hickory. Jay does a great job with his Q. He does not use a sauce so to speak but more of a dip. If you eat there you will smell like it for 12 hours or a bath...LOL

Back in the day (30 years ago), Cooks BBQ just off of Rockcrusher road........was the deal for me.....pig and brisket. Still there and good food. Best hush puppies.

Speedy Lohr's in Southmont was good as well...

Due to hype and volume most places have gone to electric smokers...not too good! They tend to make up for the lack of flavor with sauce

Theophan

I live in NC, and I think it's not "better" or "worse," just different styles.  For a different comparison, green beans in the North are often bright green and a little crunchy.  I love them that way.  Green Beans in the South are cooked all day long with country ham or ham hock, and I love them that way too!  To me, they're basically just different vegetables.  I love both of them.

I happen to like super-smoky Texas-style BBQ a lot, and if I only had one style of BBQ, that'd be it.  But I also love NC-style BBQ.  I forget the name of the place I tried in Lexington, but it's one of the famous places, and it was fantastic!  Very simple food, but every bit of it was just done exactly right, perfect.  It's a different style than Texas, but it's wonderful, too.  There's some smoke, but they like to be able to taste the pork, here.  No heavy sauces to cover it up, no excess smoke to cover it up, either.

We in this country are divided enough with politics.  I'm sorry Colbert is trying to stir up division about BBQ, too, for crying out loud.

alaskanassasin

I could never get into the red hotdogs! Wow those were bad.

nolaegghead

Theophan said:

We in this country are divided enough with politics.  I'm sorry Colbert is trying to stir up division about BBQ, too, for crying out loud.

I think he was being humorous, in context, and being a comedian and all that...

HeavyG

Colbert is being all political and trying to stir up division about bbq????

Geeebus, all the various bbq camps/regions have all been trash-talking  everybody else's bbq for decades.

rekameohs

frazzdaddy said:

I do agree some can be pretty bland when you go with some of the chains, Smithfields,Danny's ect. but the wood smoked authentic is still PDG

To be fair, Danny's doesn't try to be NC BBQ, though they do have vinegar sauce available.

rekameohs

UNCHeels08 said:

I still need to get over and try Picnic.

I don't go over to Durham much, but on my last trip, I made a point to stop by Picnic.  I was underwhelmed.  I guess I was expecting too much, based on all the hype I had seen.  It was good, but not impressive.

frazzdaddy

alaskanassasin said:

I could never get into the red hotdogs! Wow those were bad.

Awe man you know a Jessie Jones dog with mustard, onions and Patterson chili from Sanford is the stuff. When I was in high school (76/80) Dad had a place at US1 and Perry Creek rd. where we served bbq sandwiches and those dogs to the tune of 6/700 a day. 

JohnInCarolina

rekameohs said:

UNCHeels08 said:

I still need to get over and try Picnic.

I don't go over to Durham much, but on my last trip, I made a point to stop by Picnic.  I was underwhelmed.  I guess I was expecting too much, based on all the hype I had seen.  It was good, but not impressive.

What do you think the best place in the area is?  

northGAcock

Colbert is from Charleston SC. He is doing nothing more than taking a playful shot at our NC neighbors about their cue. Truth is....its all good. Some just better than others.