I will agree to what you’re saying but the truth is a lot of places that call themselves BBQ joints are making their bbq the same way as Smithfield’s. You and I should confined our discussion to real BBQ as described in my OP.
Screw Politics, Let’s Talk NC BBQ
- Thread starter prlyles
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I still use an offset stick smoker for big cooks. I enjoy the process and don't at all mind the work. I find it a nice way to enjoy a Saturday when I don't have a million things to do.
Like you, I leave the opinion of beef to the Texans and I always do my whole briskets Texas-style. And that's very simple as most Texans will tell you salt and lots of cracked black pepper. I do some other things to it, but not much.
That's sad, and I see them out there, I'm just not going. I'll make it before I go eat there. Sonny's BBQ does the same thing. They are big in Georgia and Florida. It's terrible.
I'll take you up on your offer, I'm more than happy to drop Smithfield's from any bbq discussion.
One in wilmington and one in north myrtle. I am sure there are more seeing its a chain. And they have 4 or 5 different sauces to chose from. 1 for the people who know the right way and the others for the confused folks
There isnt a thing wrong with them. They offer a wide variety, smoke on wood, ect. They are definetly not a greasy spoon style cafe, but do have good Q. Havent had NMB but i frequent wilmington.
Any BBQ house that is chain basedwill suffer among the purist. But purist also cook the best Q.
Unfortunately for the purpose of favorite places, I live in Florida. A place where BBQ has no identity and everyone thinks they're an expert because they watch BBQ Pitmasters.
I grew up in Wake Forest and enjoyed a variety of places around like Holden's and Fork's Lunch Room. I also liked Wilbur's and Parker's. B's in Greenville was pretty good.
Is the lunch room still open? Like you I love Wilber’s but I havn’t eaten there since Wilber had to close the places because of some tax problems. I understand it’s opened back up. B’s is good, I want to try their chicken sometime. I ate at Parker’s just a few weeks ago on my way to Ocracoke. As you probably know, they have quit cooking with wood but they still have good sides.
I’m fortunate to live close to enough to Lexington I get to enjoy some of the best BBQ around IMO. I’m an OG and rock w Honeymonk as my fav but enjoy Speedys and BBQ Center as well. Also Country BBQ here in High Point is pretty damn good too. I’ve brought it to a tailgate before and it was enjoyed by all.
Holdens closed a few years back. I think Fork's changed their menu and re-opened in a different place. When I was there last in 2019, the old spot was not open and I heard that they were a cafeteria style place. I haven't eaten at Wilbur's or Parker's in eons.
Have eaten at all you mentioned except Country BBQ, where is it and do they cook with wood? Honeymonk’s is my favorite for the ones you mentioned
Yes. They have 3 locations. Same owners. The original is on Wendover in Greensboro. The other two are in High Point. One on 68/Eastchester and the other on N Main St.
Smithfield's cooks shoulders on electric cookers in-house overnight. No smoke at all.
I met the founder, Greg Moore, in Jacksonville sometime in the very early 90's at an event they were catering at Camp LeJuene. Pretty sure his uncle was the founder of Moores BBQ in New Bern (one of my favorites).
I met the founder, Greg Moore, in Jacksonville sometime in the very early 90's at an event they were catering at Camp LeJuene. Pretty sure his uncle was the founder of Moores BBQ in New Bern (one of my favorites).
One of Bill Ellis’s sons owns and operates Marty’s. Bill was the owner of Bill’s BBQ in Wilson that gradually declined and closed after his death. Marty’s is very small but does a huge takeout business. I’m not positive but I don’t think they cook with wood.
IMO nothing beats backyard whole-hog (ENC sauce) done right, but I have smoked a shoulder or two that beat the pants off any BBQ restaurant I have been to. That being said I have been to really good ones but not to the Skylight Inn. It's on my bucket list.
Local to me, Allen and Sons below Chapel Hill has pretty good Q and The Pit is good dining. Smithfield's is OK for fast food but their slaw is a little too sweet; and any BBQ sandwich has to have slaw on it. It's mandatory. .
I just called them. They were very surprised to find that they are no longer in business. Maybe you're thinking of the location above Chapel Hill.
Yes I am, I didn’t know there was another place than the one north of CH. Are you telling me they moved?
Bill ellis family style was the shizzle. RIP
Speaking of family style, Bullock's in durham is okay.
Shelby has my second fave, but can never remember if it's called alston's or bridges.
no, they had both places for a long time and at some point closed the north of CH one.
The one below CH is on 15-501 not far from Pittsboro
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all I know for sure is that they were both called Allen and Sons, and the one still in business is still called that. I always had the distinct impression that they were just separate locations of the same business; but I didn't frequent the north one, hardly at all.
It’s called both, in away. There is Alston Bridges BBQ and Red Bridges BBQ. Both are in Shelby and both are very, very good. If I had to pick I would pick Red Bridges over Alston’s but you can’t go wrong with either. They are no relation. First time I made my way to Shelby I ate at both....lol
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I think the one north of CH was the famous one, right?
the business itself was well known for having really good BBQ. I think the one north of the Hill might have been more 'famous' due to its proximity to CH and therefor being more recognized. But the one below CH was just as good, at least as I recall.
I don’t think the one open now is connected to the Norh CH one at all.
I'm pretty sure they are brothers who went their separate ways years ago. Though either or both could have changed hands since then.
You know in NC BBQ is political. You have the two party system (tomato based and vinegar based) with a bunch of minor third parties that few people care about, like Kansas City style. Party lines can be pretty sharply divided.
I don’t think it’s accurate to call Lexington style tomato based. I have found most Lexington sauces to be nothing more than an eastern style with a little ketchup added. The point is the two have a lot more in common than people make out to be. But, of course if they didn’t we wouldn’t have anything to argue about. I was always told that the two Bridges were not related but who knows? They both make very good bbq.
I dont mind enough ketchup to add a little color to the sauce, I guess. Smithfields uses ketchup in theirs and swears its Eastern. What I can't handle is that thck, sweet, KC style spicy ketchup on my pulled and chopped dead pig. It's fine on a rib or just about anything else with a bone, however.
preach it brother. That’s why I love our bbq so much. The pork isn’t flavored with anything but the smoke coming from the grease dripping on the wood coals. The sauce is only used to accent the meat, it doesn’t overpower it. Studies have been done and our bbq is the original American bbq. Anything else is just cooked meat.
that would probably be true since the one north of CH does not at this time even exist, as a business or part of one. But if you're saying that two BBQ joints on either side of Chapel Hill, NC., both named Allen and Sons BBQ and both operating concurrently, were in no way connected...well, I'll just be nice and chuckle a little and SMH.
Couldn't have said it better. What I love about NC cooking is that it's mostly about the main ingredient and not a bunch of crap that covers it up (not that that can't also be damn good)
People (norherners and yankees and all manner of non-southerners) don't seem to understand, and this applies to all food...when you have a fatty, lean offering, a sharp/vinegary addition cuts through the fat and complements the meat/item, allowing its flavor to shine. Conversely, if you have a sharp tomato in a sandwich, you complement it with fatty mayonnaise (Duke's of course). When I make tuna salad, I don't use mayonnaise I use Miracle Whip (because it has a sharper taste than mayonnaise) and sharp sweet pickles, which complement the palate-dulling taste of plain tuna.
I make something called spare ribs and sauerkraut which, interestingly enough, is pretty much pork spare ribs cooked with sauerkraut and a few potatoes. It's key to throw in a very small amount of vinegar. That combined with the sourness of the sauerkraut makes the spare ribs extremely tender and flavorful and the fat and connective tissue is broken down just like with a slow-cooked pig or shoulder. You have to use spare ribs and not something like pork chops because the fat of the spare ribs is essential. It also removes every bit of the harsh taste from the sauerkraut, which picks up the pork flavor and ends up being the best part.
Damn, it must be Fall.
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