NORTH CAROLINA - If you're looking for the Best BBQ Joints in North Carolina, you're not alone. The state has many excellent BBQ joints, and there's something for every taste. Here are a few of our favorites: Red Bridges BBQ Lodge in Shelby, Skylight Inn BBQ in Ayden, Buxton Hall Barbecue in Asheville, and more.
NORTH CAROLINA - If you're looking for the Best BBQ Joints in North Carolina, you're not alone. The state has many excellent BBQ joints, and there's something for every taste. Here are a few of our favorites: Red Bridges BBQ Lodge in Shelby, Skylight Inn BBQ in Ayden, Buxton Hall Barbecue in Asheville, and more.1. Red Bridges BBQ Lodge in Shelby
Step into history at Red Bridges BBQ Lodge, where the sweet tang of hickory smoke has drifted from the chimney for over 50 years. This quaint white-picket-fenced haven, with its playful pink pig mailbox, is a North Carolina barbecue legend. Inside, the legacy of Lyttle Bridges lives on – her secret sauce recipe guarded like treasure, her hushpuppies still the stuff of dreams. Natalie Ramsey now carries the torch, her staff a collection of familiar faces who make Red Bridges feel like home.
2. Skylight Inn BBQ in Ayden
Skylight Inn BBQ is more than a restaurant, it's a pilgrimage site for Carolina barbecue purists. Since 1947, the Jones family has upheld a sacred tradition: whole hogs cooked low and slow over glowing oak coals, the meat hand-chopped with just a touch of vinegar and spice. With accolades from National Geographic and Southern Living, Skylight Inn isn't just legendary, it's the smoky, tangy definition of Eastern North Carolina 'cue.
3. Grady's BBQ in Dudley
Grady's BBQ is a beacon of barbecue excellence in Dudley. This family-run joint dishes out melt-in-your-mouth meats with the perfect balance of smoke, sweetness, and the coveted crispy 'outside brown'. Since 1986, they've been a roadside landmark, a destination for those who understand that true barbecue is worth the drive.
4. Buxton Hall Barbecue in Asheville
Step back in time while indulging in the future of Eastern Carolina barbecue at Buxton Hall. Housed in a beautifully revamped industrial space, the aroma of whole-hog 'cue mingles with the buzz of happy diners. Don't miss their buttermilk fried chicken sandwich, a rival to the perfect pulled pork. With its sweeping patio views and hip vibe, Buxton Hall proves barbecue can be both down-home delicious and seriously stylish.
5. Clyde Cooper's BBQ in Raleigh
For a taste of Raleigh's barbecue soul, look no further than Clyde Cooper's BBQ. Open since 1938, this is where generations have gathered for a plate of smoky, tangy perfection. The menu is a testament to tradition: chopped or sliced pork, ribs that fall off the bone, crispy fried chicken... and don't forget those addictive pork skins! Clyde Cooper's is proof that the classics never go out of style.
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